A Popular Diabetes Drug Slows Ageing? What New Research Finds

A new scientific review has examined the evidence linking metformin with longevity and ageing-related changes. Researchers found that the drug affects several biological processes associated with ageing. However, they also stress that evidence in humans remains mixed and that metformin is not currently an approved anti-ageing treatment.

Why Is Metformin Being Studied For Ageing?

Ageing is linked to several changes in the body, including chronic inflammation, impaired energy production, changes in cellular repair and metabolic problems.

Metformin appears to influence several of these pathways. Researchers are particularly interested in its effects on metabolism, inflammation and mitochondria, the structures that produce energy inside cells.

Animal studies have produced some encouraging findings. Research in laboratory animals has suggested that metformin may extend lifespan or improve markers associated with healthy ageing. However, results from animals cannot automatically be applied to humans.

What Does The Human Study Show?

This is where the picture becomes less certain.

Some observational studies have found that people taking metformin, particularly those with diabetes, may have lower rates of certain age-related conditions. However, observational research cannot prove that metformin itself caused these benefits.

A large clinical study called TAME (Targeting Aging with Metformin) was designed to investigate whether metformin could delay several age-related diseases in older adults without diabetes. However, the trial has been stalled for years and has not produced the results needed to establish metformin as an anti-ageing treatment.

More recent research has also produced mixed findings. A 2026 randomised pilot trial involving 40 non-diabetic older adults living with well-controlled HIV found no significant difference in one measure of biological age after 96 weeks of metformin compared with placebo. Researchers said larger studies are needed.

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Could Metformin Affect Biological Age?

One recent randomised trial in older adults with glucose intolerance found that metformin improved a measure of frailty and reduced biological age estimated using two DNA-methylation-based ageing clocks. However, the study population was specific, and the findings do not establish that metformin slows ageing in healthy adults generally.

Another large observational analysis presented in 2026 found modest associations between metformin use and slower epigenetic ageing among people with diabetes. But the researchers noted that the results could still be influenced by differences in diabetes severity and other factors.

Should Healthy People Take Metformin To Live Longer?

No, metformin is a prescription medicine primarily used to manage type 2 diabetes and is not approved specifically for slowing normal ageing. Taking it without medical advice is not recommended.

The drug can cause side effects, including nausea, diarrhoea and vomiting. Long-term use can also be associated with vitamin B12 deficiency. In rare circumstances, it can contribute to a serious condition called lactic acidosis, particularly in people with certain kidney or liver problems.

Also Read: Does Sugar Cause Collagen Breakdown? Expert Weighs In

So, is metformin an anti-ageing drug?

Not yet.

The scientific interest is justified because metformin affects several processes connected with ageing, and some animal and human studies have produced promising results. But other research has failed to show clear benefits, and there is still no agreed dose, treatment duration or age at which metformin should be started specifically for longevity.

The current evidence therefore supports further research, not self-medication.

Final Word

Metformin may eventually prove to have benefits beyond blood sugar control, but researchers have not yet established that it can help healthy people live longer or remain healthier for longer.