Metformin and ageing: improving ageing outcomes beyond glycaemic control
Open accessAbstract
In a world where the population is ageing, there is growing interest and demand for research evaluating strategies that address the ageing process. After 60 years of successful use of metformin in our pharmaceutical armamentarium, we are learning that, beyond improving glycaemic control, metformin may have additional mechanisms and pathways of action that need further study. Although, metformin's effect on clinical ageing outcomes may still be considered speculative, the findings from studies into cellular and animal models and from observational and pilot human studies support the existence of beneficial effects on ageing. At present, progress for human research, using randomised clinical trials to evaluate metformin's clinical impact, has just started. Here, we present a review on the ageing process and the mechanisms involved, and the role that metformin may have to counter these. We go on to discuss the upcoming large randomised clinical trials that may provide insight on the use of metformin for ageing outcomes beyond glycaemic control.
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Epidemiological studies show metformin lowers the incidence of multiple age-related diseases and all-cause mortality in both diabetics and non-diabetics.
“Epidemiological studies have revealed metformin’s gerotherapeutic effect in lowering the incidence of multiple age-related diseases as well as all-cause mortality, in both diabetics and non-diabetics”
From Benefits of Metformin in Attenuating the Hallmarks of Aging (2020) · cites this paper as Valencia et al. 2017
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- Authors
- Valencia, W. M., Palacio, A., Tamariz, L., & Florez, H.
- Affiliations
- University of Miami (US)
- Corresponding author
- Valencia, Willy Marcos
- Venue
- Diabetologia
- Published
- 2017-08-02
- Volume
- 60
- Issue
- 9
- Pages
- 1630-1638
- ISSN
- 0012-186X (ISSN-L)
- 1432-0428
- PMC
- PMC5709209
- OpenAlex
- W2742029199
- Cited by
- 142
- References
- 66
- Citations by year
- 2026: 11 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 15 · 2023: 21 · 2022: 17 · 2021: 20 · 2020: 23 · 2019: 13 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 2
- FWCI
- 1.20
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Diabetologia (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
- National Institutes of Health (VA999999)
- National Institute on Aging (R01AG055606)
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (HHSN268200900040C)
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (U01DK098246)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Metabolism, Diabetes, and Cancer
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Aging › Genetics, Aging, and Longevity in Model Organisms
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Diabetes Treatment and Management
- Keywords
- metformin, aging, glycemic control, cellular senescence, randomized controlled trials, type 2 diabetes, lifespan extension
- MeSH terms
- Aging, Animals, Blood Glucose, Humans, Hypoglycemic Agents, Metformin
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