In September 2024, Cell published a paper suggesting that metformin slows biological ageing in male primates. The authors examined its effects on various physiological and molecular parameters, concluding that metformin has geroprotective properties. In this episode, Matt and Nick analyse the study, discuss possible design improvements, and explore metformin's potential as a longevity drug.

Key Points:

Matt and Nick discuss a study suggesting metformin slows brain ageing in monkeys but raise concerns about the study’s design and misleading presentation. They argue that the findings likely reflect metformin’s known benefits for metabolically unhealthy individuals, not a novel anti-ageing effect.

• Study Overview: Matt and Nick discuss a recent study suggesting that metformin slows brain ageing in male monkeys. The study, conducted on primates over three years, measured various biological parameters to assess metformin's effects.
• Study Critique: Matt expresses concerns about the study’s rigor, noting insufficient data on the monkeys' metabolic health and inadequate presentation of relevant measures, like glucose and insulin levels, which could explain the findings.
• Misleading Presentation: The study's title and abstract imply a significant discovery about metformin and ageing, but Matt argues that it likely reflects metformin’s known benefits for metabolically unhealthy subjects, not a novel anti-ageing effect.
• Metformin and Longevity: Matt remains skeptical about metformin's use for healthy individuals, maintaining that it is beneficial for those with metabolic disorders but lacks compelling evidence as a general longevity drug.