Question 157 of 433
Should healthy people take metformin for longevity?
The short answer
Not yet. The trial designed to answer that question has still not been completed, and metformin may blunt some benefits of exercise.
Metformin is a safe, cheap diabetes drug, and people with diabetes who take it seem to do unusually well. That observation inspired the TAME trial, proposed by Dr. Nir Barzilai, to test whether it delays age-related diseases in people without diabetes. Funding has been slow for years. Meanwhile, two studies found that metformin reduced the gains in fitness and muscle that older adults got from exercise. It also failed to extend life in the federal mouse program. If you have diabetes or prediabetes, it is a fine drug. If you are healthy and active, I would wait.
“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
NOT DEMONSTRATED — Healthy non-diabetic adults: metformin lifespan benefit; small trials suggest possible exercise-adaptation trade-offs.Evidence grade (draft mapping)FNot demonstrated / insufficientPart 11, Q157 · 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.