| A drug taken by millions of people to treat diabetes may have more benefits. Scientists who study the biology of aging have designed a clinical study of metformin to test whether its anti-inflammatory effects can help promote a longer, healthier lifespan. 💊 Metformin was first used to treat diabetes in France in the 1950s. The FDA approved it to treat Type 2 diabetes in the 1990s. 💊 Since then, researchers have found several surprising results, including a lower risk of several types of cancer, improved cardiovascular outcomes and a lower risk of mild cognitive decline. 💊 But the evidence is observational and doesn't prove cause and effect. Scientists want to know if these benefits in people with diabetes will also be seen in healthy adults. 💊 The FDA doesn't currently recognize age as a disease to treat. Researchers hope this clinical trial will encourage a paradigm shift from treating each age-related medical condition separately to treating these conditions together by targeting aging. |