Research
Hormonal
Metformin, a common diabetes drug, inhibits mTORC1 and increases longevity in model organisms, with observational data suggesting it may decrease all-cause mortality in humans.
Metformin is a well-tolerated diabetes drug that may offer longevity benefits. While not currently approved for this use, it is a promising candidate for anti-aging therapy, and ongoing trials will clarify its efficacy in healthy individuals.
ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
Unlike the effects of chronic rapamycin treatment, metformin reverses several of the symptoms of metabolic syndrome and is very well tolerated over long periods of time in humans. It also increases longevity in species ranging from yeast to mice and was even found to decrease mortality from all causes in humans in a long-term diabetes study.
Why this rating
Strong preclinical data and observational human data, but lack of large-scale randomized controlled trials for longevity.
Source
Coming of age: molecular drivers of aging and therapeutic opportunities
Christopher B. Newgard et al. · Journal of Clinical Investigation · 2013
DOI 10.1172/jci68833
narrative_reviewCited 185×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Pharmacologic inhibition of the mTORC1 pathway using rapamycin extends lifespan across multiple species, though its use in humans is limited by side effects like immunosuppression and metabolic dysfunction.Good
- Cellular senescence and the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) contribute to aging and age-related diseases by promoting chronic inflammation and tissue dysfunction.Good
- Caloric restriction (CR) extends lifespan in many species, but its benefits in humans are uncertain and potentially offset by increased mortality risk associated with low body weight.Moderate
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