Is metformin an anti-aging drug?

Background

Metformin is a decades-old, inexpensive diabetes drug. Observational studies suggested people taking it might live longer, which led to proposals to test it as an anti-aging drug.

What the human research shows

• In people with metabolic syndrome, the MeMeMe trial (over 1,400 adults) found metformin prevented type 2 diabetes but showed no preventive effect on cancer, cardiovascular disease or death.
• Recent reviews describe little to no effect on mortality in more recent human data, and methodological concerns with earlier evidence.
• The TAME trial, designed to test metformin in 3,000 adults aged 65 to 79, has struggled to secure full funding.

What we still don’t know

• Whether metformin slows aging in people without diabetes.
• Whether it blunts some benefits of exercise, as small studies have suggested.

Safety and status

FDA-approved for type 2 diabetes. Use for aging is off-label. Side effects are mainly gastrointestinal, and it can lower vitamin B12 over time.

Sources

1. A review of the present state of data for metformin as a geroprotective drug. Aging, 2026
2. NPR: A cheap drug may slow down aging. A study will determine if it works (2024)

Last reviewed November 7, 2026. Educational only; not medical advice, and not a recommendation to take any drug or supplement. Talk to a clinician before starting anything.