This Common Diabetes Drug Could Hold The Key To Slower Aging

Metformin is the most commonly prescribed drug for type 2 diabetes patients, but new research indicates that it can actually slow aging in the brain, as well. Earlier evidence for metformin's reduction of a range of aging-related diseases was summarized in a 2017 analysis by researchers in Australia, while a 2024 paper from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing demonstrated how the drug slows the "aging clock" in monkeys. However, it wasn't until a recent 2025 paper from the Baylor College of Medicine that researchers were finally able to identify the actual mechanism behind metformin's special powers in the brain.

Also known by its brand names Glucophage and Riomet, Metformin has been prescribed since the 1950s for managing the blood sugar of patients with type 2 diabetes. The medication was quickly greenlit by drug agencies without a complete understanding of its effects, since its negative side effects are typically rare and mild. Regardless, as the drug's usage spread, it became clear that it was an effective treatment for diabetes, but other benefits emerged as well, leading some to call metformin a "wonder drug." Data showed that patients who took it for diabetes also had lower risks of cardiovascular disease, and some even lost excess weight.

Today, many doctors even prescribe metformin as an "off-label" treatment for conditions other than type 2 diabetes. Besides its effectiveness against gestational diabetes and prediabetes, metformin has also been used to treat polycystic ovary syndrome and reduce the weight-gain side effects of antipsychotic medicines. All that said, metformin isn't currently being prescribed as an anti-aging treatment, but the emerging research surrounding it may be a stepping stone towards greater longevity in the future.

For decades, professionals knew that metformin worked wonders, but they didn't know exactly how. Now, the 2025 Baylor College of Medicine study has unveiled part of the mystery. According to the paper, metformin "shuts down" a certain switch in the brain that's responsible for regulating glucose production in the body.

Cells contain molecular proteins known as GTPases which serve a vast range of functions in cellular processes. Different types of GTPases have different roles. A GTPase found in the brain called neuronal Rap1 regulates energy, leptin actions, and, most importantly, glucose. According to the new research findings, metformin inhibits Rap1 activity in the brain's hypothalamus region, effectively reducing blood sugar levels without the need for insulin. The team also identified the specific neurons involved, specifically SF1 neurons which have been shown to provide protection against metabolic imbalances.

While the discovery explains why metformin is so effective at treating diabetes, some members of the research team believe this neural pathway may also explain the drug's anti-aging properties. One of the paper's coauthors, Dr. Makoto Fukuda, told ScienceDaily, "Metformin is known for other health benefits, such as slowing brain aging. We plan to investigate whether this same brain Rap1 signaling is responsible." Thus, further research is needed, so the best anyone can do is to continue to avoid the well-documented habits that shorten lifespans in the meantime.