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First, as I was sucked into the headline just as you are, this was a study of women who were over the age of 60 with Type 2 Diabetes. So this isn’t touting doing this for all women in menopause. But seeing Metformin lowers risk of death before age 90 by 30% is a compelling headline.
SUMMARY (for those of you with no attention spans): Metformin improved survival rates to age 90 by 30% for Type 2 diabetics who took Metformin vs. Sulfonylurea in post menopausal women.
For those of you who want the details:
Metformin is thought to be an antiaging drug. If you read our many blogs on blood sugar, CGMs, diabetes, and all of the ramifications of glucose and insulin resistance, you know we believe that blood sugar control is a basic tenet of healthspan and longevity. It is thought that Metformin has not just an anti-diabetic effect, but that it has a separate anti aging effect. How? It may target aging pathways that cause inflammation, it may improve cellular metabolism, and it may affect genes like FOXO3, which is longevity related gene. For the blogs on metformin on our site, click METFORMIN BLOGS.
This study?
“Comparative Effectiveness of Metformin vs Sulfonylureas on Exceptional Longevity in Women with Type 2 Diabetes: Target Trial Emulation” published in the Journal of Gerontology, May 2025. They were looking at “exceptional longevity,” which is living to age 90.
Study:
- 483 women over age 60 with Type 2 diabetes
- No history of insulin use
- Matched for demographics of BMI, lifestyle, comorbidities like hypertension, etc.
- They did either metformin monotherapy or sulfonylurea monotherapy.
Findings?
Those on metformin did better. The adjust risk of death was 30% lower for those on metformin than on sulfonylurea. They did add there was no placebo in this trail, but still the results are encouraging.
How can Biohackr Health help?
- TEST. Are you prediabetic? Diabetic? Test your glucose panel, insulin levels, etc TEST LINK
- CGM. Continuous Glucose Monitors are small, easy wearables which give you tons of information about how your body responds to food. We are huge fans of tracking what food and exercise does to your blood sugar levels. Every person is unique. Figure out what happens to you.
- Telehealth visit. Overwhelmed? Don’t know where to start? Need a prescription for metformin? Meet with our clinicians to help you with all of the above. Telehealth info and scheduling
MEDICAL REFERENCE:
Metformin Exceptional Longevity