These commonly prescribed anti-diabetes drugs may help you live longer

Researchers at the Texas Biomedical Research Institute in San Antonio are testing two anti-diabetes drugs for their anti-aging effects. The scientists say the medications hold great promise in improving longevity. Initial experiments in mice have shown that the drugs, metformin and Acarbose, improve health and prolong lifespan. Now, the scientists are testing them in monkeys who have similar physiology and aging patterns as humans. “I think this type of research can change what life is like for geriatric people,” says Corinna Ross, Ph.D., an Associate Professor at the Southwest National Primate Research Center at Texas BioMed. “We’re hopeful that some of these others that we’re testing will give us the right combination to delay aging,” she adds. The research is being funded by a grant from the Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center. The scientists believe that the anti-diabetes drugs alter carbohydrate digestion and mimic calorie restriction and that this intervention can increase the healthy lifespan in mice. The idea is to develop pharmaceutical products that reverse the effects of early life choices. People who smoked, ate cheeseburgers, and never exercised can hopefully correct their course and live healthy, long lives. The group is now working on obtaining federal funding for a long-term study to evaluate the anti-aging effects of diabetes medications.