Question 8 of 433
What have the mouse studies actually shown?
The short answer
A handful of drugs reliably extend mouse lifespan. Most supplements tested the same way failed.
The best program is run by the U.S. National Institute on Aging and is called the Interventions Testing Program. It tests each compound in three separate laboratories using genetically mixed mice, which makes it hard to fool.
The winners include rapamycin (the most consistent), acarbose, canagliflozin, and a form of estrogen called 17-alpha-estradiol, the last three mostly in male mice. The losers include resveratrol, curcumin, fish oil, fisetin, metformin on its own, and nicotinamide riboside, a popular NAD booster.
Two lessons. First, a mouse is not a person, and many mouse successes disappear in human trials. Second, notice that several famous supplements could not even pass the mouse test.
“This book is for education. It is not medical advice, and reading it does not make you my patient or create a doctor-patient relationship.” From the book’s medical disclaimer. Full disclaimer
PRECLINICAL — Lifespan effects in genetically heterogeneous mice; no established human lifespan benefit.Evidence grade (draft mapping)DPreclinical / mechanisticPart 1, Q8 · Part sources
From Longevity Unmasked by Afshine Ash Emrani, MD, FACC. Medical disclaimer. This book is for education. It is not medical advice, and reading it does not make you my patient or create a doctor-patient relationship. Nothing here is meant to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Medicine is personal: a test, drug, supplement, or exercise plan that helps one person can harm another. Do not start, stop, or change any medication or treatment because of something you read in these pages. Talk with a licensed clinician who knows your history first. If you think you are having a medical emergency, call 911. The author disclaims responsibility for any loss or harm arising from use of the information in this book.