One might to surprised to know that a pill taken by 90 percent of diabetes patients in India can help stop ageing. Recently, a research done by scientists from Beijing, which has also been endorsed by some Indian experts, suggested that Metformin, one of the cheapest medicines used to treat diabetes patients in India may have anti-ageing properties.

On September 12, a study by 43 researchers from the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing and some other universities was published in the journal Cell. The study claimed that continuous and regular usage of the diabetic drug Metformin has helped in reducing ageing in monkeys by 6 years. This implies that these monkeys started ageing after six years.

This drug has shown excellent effect as an anti-ageing drug on monkeys. Therefore, it has the potential to be effective on humans as well.

Speaking about this research, Dr. Sanjay Kalra, President of the Association of Longevity and Anti-Ageing Medicine and a well-known endocrinologist of Karnal-based Bharti Hospital, said that the study is very interesting because Metformin has been used to treat patients suffering from diabetes for many decades.

“We also know about other benefits of Metformin. Apart from treating heart diseases and complications of diabetes, cancer complications can also be reduced with this drug,” he said.

So far, research has shown that Metformin in diabetes patients actually helps in reduce ageing of many other human organs such as heart, brain or blood vessels. There has been similar research in India which suggests that ageing can be prevented by calorie restriction and Metformin also works in reducing calories and activate AMP kinase. In such a situation, this drug can be effective in anti-ageing.

Professor Navneet Agarwal, Group Medical Director of The Anti-Ageing Center in Gurugram said that Metformin is given to patients of Type-2 diabetes in government hospitals as well as private hospitals.

“It basically acts as an insulin resistant drug and helps in repairing cells and also works as an anti-inflammatory drug. A lot of research has been done on metformin. In our Centre, Metformin is also being used for anti-ageing treatment in pre-diabetic patients and overweight patients,” Dr Agarwal said.

Apart from this, this medicine is also used for the treatment of PCOS disease in girls. This medicine is also used to treat obesity in patients. In such a situation, this research is correct and the drug can prove to be effective in slowing down ageing.