Open AccessAnti-aging properties of metformin
Author(s) -
Anna Łopuszyńska,
Mateusz Pawlicki,
Magdalena Kozioł,
Aleksandra Krasa,
Ewa Piekarska,
Halina PiecewiczSzczęsna
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of education, health and sport
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2391-8306
DOI - 10.12775/jehs.2021.11.09.005
Subject(s) - metformin , medicine , type 2 diabetes , drug , colorectal cancer , cancer , population , diabetes mellitus , prostate cancer , population ageing , pharmacology , bioinformatics , biology , endocrinology , environmental health
Introduction: Life expectancy of human population is being constantly prolonged, hence there is a lot of research into drug that will prevent the effects of aging. There are many reports that metformin, which is a drug used in type 2 diabetes, has anti-aging effects. It belongs to the group of biguanides and has been used since the 1950s. It is a relatively safe, cheap and effective drug, which makes it a promising subject for many studies. The purpose of this review is to present the latest developments in this field. Material and methods: PubMed scientific base was searched using following keywords: metformin, aging, anti-aging, in years 2017-2021. Results: Numerous studies show that metformin has an impact on aging through the nutrient pathway, AMPK signaling pathway, and its effects on reactive oxygen species. In addition, it has an anti-cancer effect, inhibiting, among others, rectal cancer cells and p53 mutant colon cancer. Research in rodents has shown that this drug has anti-aging effects on many organs, including the CNS, ovaries, prostate, heart muscle and skin. Conclusions: Metformin, which is the most commonly used oral drug in type 2 diabetes, has many other mechanisms of action. Its anti-aging effect works on many organs in our bodies, which gives hope to find an anti-aging substance. However, multicentre, randomized trials are needed to determine the exact anti-aging dose, its possible side effects, and effects on various organisms.