Metformin for longevity?

[Eddy Edson]

Probably not. Physical activity & diet are about the only life/health-span interventions with real evidence and there are mitochondrial and other downsides to Metformin.

The 2019 study which is the focus of this thread is one of the papers which led me to drop Metformin once my glucose metabolism had normalised:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1731303449843634484

Thread author Stuart Philips is a leading skeletal muscle & aging etc researcher. His views are worth considering if you're tossing up whether or not to continue with Metformin once you've tamed your T2D-beast.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Interesting @Eddy Edson

It’s an odd fish isn’t it. Modest but proven BG assistance, well known and fairly common gastric effects (usually short lived), vit B12 and kidney shenanigans, but also improved heart health!

It’s a fine balance.

 

[Eddy Edson]

Interesting @Eddy Edson

It’s an odd fish isn’t it. Modest but proven BG assistance, well known and fairly common gastric effects (usually short lived), vit B12 and kidney shenanigans, but also improved heart health!

It’s a fine balance.

I just don't see much reason to take it except to improve insulin sensitivity, for somebody with T2D, and some good reasons not to take if you don't need it for that purpose.

I think the evidence for heart benefits is weak - certainly versus eg SGLT2i's.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Many forum members are keen to drop it as soon as they can.

 

[harbottle]

I still take 500mg, which by some accounts doesn't really have much of an effect anyway. My GP did say I could stop it if I wanted. I have no idea if I'm insulin resistant or not, though!

 

[RJN123]

Thank you for sharing. As someone who has lost a lot of muscle mass after two years of cancer treatment and working out dilligently to get it back this is worth noting. I am finding it very diffult to gain muscle - but of course that could just be that it is harder to recover at 51 than previously. But worth keeping in mind as I am on 2x1000mg of metformin and I expect my DNS will suggest I cut back eventually…

 

[Burylancs]

Probably not. Physical activity & diet are about the only life/health-span interventions with real evidence and there are mitochondrial and other downsides to Metformin.

The 2019 study which is the focus of this thread is one of the papers which led me to drop Metformin once my glucose metabolism had normalised:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1731303449843634484

Thread author Stuart Philips is a leading skeletal muscle & aging etc researcher. His views are worth considering if you're tossing up whether or not to continue with Metformin once you've tamed your T2D-beast.

Hmmm. Well the actual research says the effects of Metformin did not reach 'statistical significance'. And the research quoted only related to 'healthy older' people - so no relevance to T2s who are unhealthy by definition and many of them not older. Another misfiring scare story about Metformin/medication.

 

[Eddy Edson]

Hmmm. Well the actual research says the effects of Metformin did not reach 'statistical significance'. And the research quoted only related to 'healthy older' people - so no relevance to T2s who are unhealthy by definition and many of them not older. Another misfiring scare story about Metformin/medication.

Differences in lean mass and thigh muscle gains were statistically significant. Strength gain differences showed trend but not statistical significance.

 

[Burylancs]

Differences in lean mass and thigh muscle gains were stastically significant. Strength gain differences showed trend but not statistical significance.

And non of it relevant to T2s since the participants were 'healthy elderly people'. And none of them 'obese or suffering metabolic diseases'. Why would they give 46 healthy elderly people Metformin anyway ? Smacks of medical malpractice perhaps ? Healthy people don't need medication. The only real finding of this experiment is that exercise and muscle building helps elderly people. Who would have thought it ! And were these people actually paid to find that out ? A secondary finding is that healthy elderly people over 65 don't need metformin. Err .... who ever thought that they did ?

 

[harbottle]

You are missing the point.

There was a hypothesis that Metformin improves muscle mass due to the way it interacts with cells (Something to do with reducing inflammation).

This study was designed to test that hypothesis.

It showed the opposite.

Nothing to do with T2D at all, hence why diabetics were excluded from the participants.

 

[Burylancs]

You are missing the point.

There was a hypothesis that Metformin improves muscle mass due to the way it interacts with cells (Something to do with reducing inflammation).

This study was designed to test that hypothesis.

It showed the opposite.

Nothing to do with T2D at all, hence why diabetics were excluded from the participants.

And so it's irrelevant to T2s and actually this support group !

 

[harbottle]

Not really, @Eddy Edson has T2D and has stated:

The 2019 study which is the focus of this thread is one of the papers which led me to drop Metformin once my glucose metabolism had normalised:

Therefore it's totally relevant if people here have normalised and want to improve muscle mass.