In this episode of Longevity Roadmap, Buck Joffrey explores one of the most talked-about drugs in the longevity space: metformin. Is it a genuine anti-ageing breakthrough, or has the hype outpaced the evidence?

Key Points:

Metformin is a proven and effective drug for diabetes. There is currently no solid evidence that it extends lifespan in healthy people. Ongoing trials may change the picture, but for now the longevity claims remain unproven.

• Metformin’s longevity hype: Excitement around metformin began after a 2014 UK study suggested diabetics taking the drug lived longer than non-diabetics, raising hopes it might extend lifespan.
• Problems with early studies: Buck explains that the original findings were affected by study design bias, as only the healthiest diabetics remained in the analysis over time.
• Stronger evidence challenges the claim: More recent and better-designed studies, including twin comparisons, show no clear longevity advantage for metformin users over non-diabetics.
• Animal studies fall short: Large rodent studies also fail to show a significant lifespan extension with metformin, weakening the argument for its anti-ageing effects.
• What may work better: Other compounds, such as rapamycin and certain glucose-modulating drugs, show more promising signals in animal studies, though none are proven longevity therapies in humans.