Case for using antidiabetic drug for anti-ageing strengthened after Hong Kong university studies genetic data from 320,000 Britons
- University of Hong Kong says findings address inadequacies flagged in past studies about protective effects of metformin against conditions such as cancer
- Study compares effects of ageing among people taking drugs used to treat diabetes, with metformin effects on glycated haemoglobin levels linked to body’s functionality
Researchers at the University of Hong Kong have strengthened the case for using a common antidiabetic drug to prevent ageing-associated diseases after conducting a study of the genetic data from more than 320,000 participants in the United Kingdom.
The university’s School of Public Health on Thursday said its findings addressed inadequacies flagged in studies from past decades about the protective effects of metformin against conditions such as cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.
The research on the wider applications of the lilac-derived medicine was published in The Lancet Healthy Longevity, a leading international journal for the field of geriatrics and gerontology.
The study compared the effects of ageing among people taking drugs used to treat diabetes, dividing participants into those taking metformin and patients who used other medications.
Dr Luo Shan, an assistant research professor at the school, said the study could “offer a more comprehensive picture” since it used the genomic and phenotypic data of more than 320,000 white British people listed in the UK Biobank.
The data included both diabetics and non-diabetics to help researchers process information from the medication comparison.