The First Medication To Extend Your Life?
Metformin administration to rodents significantly improved their health and lifespan, meaning the drug could become the first anti-aging drug for humans.
Metformin is the most commonly prescribed antidiabetic drug. England created the drug in 1958 to treat and prevent type 2 diabetes. The reach of the drug has expanded dramatically and is now currently prescribed to more than 120 million people worldwide. However, recent studies have made scientists wonder if we have not used the drug to its full potential.
Metformin works by reducing the amount of sugar your liver releases into your blood. Additionally, it helps your body better respond to insulin, which controls the level of sugar in your blood. This is why metformin has been traditionally prescribed for type 2 diabetes. However, recently, a study proved that metformin activates AMPK, an enzyme inside cells that lowers blood sugar by increasing energy utilization. Consequently, studies have shown that by activating AMPK, metformin impacts lifespan. Specifically, it can help prevent cancer, prevent cardiovascular disease, and reduce body weight and fat mass.
In a study of head and neck cancers, researchers found that diabetics had a 46% reduction in risk of developing these cancers. After a small period of being baffled, researchers realized the difference between diabetics and non-diabetics is that diabetics were taking metformin. A similar study found the same result for gastric cancers. There has been zero evidence that the drug impacts cancer in a negative way. In essence, metformin has significant impacts in preventing cancer.
Cardiovascular disease is the biggest killer in America, and the main cause of the disease is the hardening of the arteries. There are various factors that cause the hardening of the arteries, however, AMPK has been shown to significantly help prevent these factors. Since metformin activates AMPK then the drug can help prevent cardiovascular disease. Studies have backed this reasoning as multiple studies have shown that the drug could help reduce the risk of a heart attack.
Finally, metformin could help solve our obesity problem. By activating AMPK (a metabolic regulator), metformin stimulates behaviors such as burning fat and taking sugar out of the blood. Again, multiple studies have proved that metformin does in fact promote weight loss across different groups. For example, a study showed that women treated with metformin had significant decreases in weight as compared to a group of women treated with a placebo.
In essence, metformin can help prevent cancer and cardiovascular disease, while promoting weight loss. Metformin could be a world changing drug by significantly increasing lifespan. It is unbelievable to think that a drug serving over 120 million people is likely being under used.
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Written by Willie Turchetta & Edited by Alexander Fleiss