Is anyone taking Metformin for longevity (or considering it)?

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SoccerMom
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Is anyone taking Metformin for longevity (or considering it)?

Post by SoccerMom »

Trying to do everything I can to stay healthy and avoid the same fate as my parents. My dad died last year at 67 from Lewy Body Dementia and my mom has early Alzheimer's at age 68 (she's a 4/4). They both smoked and drank, didn't exercise much, and ate whatever they wanted.

I'm almost 45 (I'm a 3/4) and exercise daily and have a pretty clean diet and excellent BMI and health. I don't drink or smoke. I know Metformin has been used safely for decades, and considering asking my doctor about taking it for longevity/health. Is anyone doing this and did your doctor prescribe it?

Thank you!
xactly
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Re: Is anyone taking Metformin for longevity (or considering it)?

Post by xactly »

I took Metformin briefly earlier this year. I'm a healthy older adult without metabolic disorder or diabetes. I discontinued use after a couple of months when Peter Attia shared research showing Metformin blunts the positive effects of exercise in healthy people. Interestingly, and possibly related to a placebo/nocebo response, I felt stronger after stopping the Metformin, and I experienced delayed-onset muscle soreness for the first time in many months. That made me feel Metformin was, indeed, blocking hypertrophy.
SoccerMom
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Re: Is anyone taking Metformin for longevity (or considering it)?

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xactly wrote:I took Metformin briefly earlier this year. I'm a healthy older adult without metabolic disorder or diabetes. I discontinued use after a couple of months when Peter Attia shared research showing Metformin blunts the positive effects of exercise in healthy people. Interestingly, and possibly related to a placebo/nocebo response, I felt stronger after stopping the Metformin, and I experienced delayed-onset muscle soreness for the first time in many months. That made me feel Metformin was, indeed, blocking hypertrophy.
Yes, I did hear about that side effect as well. Interesting that you actually noticed it! Thanks for the feedback!
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Re: Is anyone taking Metformin for longevity (or considering it)?

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Rhonda Patrick also believes that Metformin is not a good idea in healthy, active adults due to its blunting of the benefits of exercise.
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Re: Is anyone taking Metformin for longevity (or considering it)?

Post by Sherpurvis »

Both my husband and I are taking Metformin. I’m 56 and a 4/4 and my husband is 63. We also take Resveratrol and Nicotinimide Riboside (thinking about switching to NMN). I just had my biological age determined by MyDNAge.com and it came back at age 49. Not bad for a 4/4. I think I’ll continue the protocol.
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Re: Is anyone taking Metformin for longevity (or considering it)?

Post by babl »

I started taking Metformin almost two months ago now though I have not yet done some follow-up blood labs to see how it's affecting my numbers (plan to do this in January). I'm 55 years old and am solidly in the insulin-resistant camp. For someone like me, my take-away from Attia and Rhonda Patrick is that I'm one of those who would benefit from taking it. But if I ever find myself at a healthier weight and no longer insulin resistant, I will probably consider stopping it.
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Re: Is anyone taking Metformin for longevity (or considering it)?

Post by noatakgirl »

SoccerMom wrote:Trying to do everything I can to stay healthy and avoid the same fate as my parents. My dad died last year at 67 from Lewy Body Dementia and my mom has early Alzheimer's at age 68 (she's a 4/4). They both smoked and drank, didn't exercise much, and ate whatever they wanted.

I'm almost 45 (I'm a 3/4) and exercise daily and have a pretty clean diet and excellent BMI and health. I don't drink or smoke. I know Metformin has been used safely for decades, and considering asking my doctor about taking it for longevity/health. Is anyone doing this and did your doctor prescribe it?

Thank you!
Hello Soccer Mom, like others have referenced, I suggest you listen to Dr. Peter Attia's December 23, 2019 podcast with Iñigo San Millán, Ph.D. The bottom line is that in healthy individuals, metformin is detrimental to the mitochondria. I'm sorry to hear about your parents, but they lived a very different life from you. Do you have any research showing metformin is beneficial for healthy individuals? I have come to believe if we eat and live well, our body will do the rest, even if 3/4 or 4/4. My aunt passed from Lewy Body also and my father much earlier from a heart attack, both drank heavily at certain periods. I imagine that the sleep disruption from drinking is a significant contributor to disease/inflammation and you mention other risk factors in your parents' lives. I submit you will be better served maintaining a healthy lifestyle and tracking your sleep or wearing a CGM or both. I don't think there are "magic bullet" pills to solve the APOE4 problem (or at least not yet), just a return to a traditional lifestyle/foodway, etc.
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Re: Is anyone taking Metformin for longevity (or considering it)?

Post by Jmac »

I am splitting the difference to some degree, taking a low dose. I follow Attia, Asprey, David Sinclair, Patrick, etc., etc. and have heard both sides. David Sinclair takes it and has talked about the impact on exercise since the info came out. I listened to an in-depth podcast from someone late last year on this, if I remember who it was I'll post, and they suggested that you stop metformin the day before doing muscle building to maximize. I cycle everything so I just work muscles the day after not taking it. Also, I am only taking a small dose, about 1/4 of the recommended amount.

I hate the idea of taking any kind of drug, have a google alert set up on it to monitor. David Sinclair convinced me it was worth being part of my regime...but I'm one who would be easily convinced to stop it altogether if I thought the negatives outweighed the positives. I saw a podcast this morning while working out on it, was anti so will listen later.

On a side note, anecdotal to be sure --- my husband has diabetes 2 and has been on it for 15 plus years I'd guess. He is not a healthy eater, doesn't do much of anything to take care of his health unless I force broccoli on him :-). I seriously believe that metformin has a huge positive impact on his seemingly healthy body. He was diagnosed with heart issues at the same time they found he was diabetic, has had zero issues regarding. His mother passed away from Alzheimer's disease so I have to "assume" he is at least a 3/4 although he isn't interested in finding out. Metformin MAY be the only thing keeping him going but it's probably decent genes and the broccoli :-).
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Re: Is anyone taking Metformin for longevity (or considering it)?

Post by SoccerMom »

I appreciate the replies! I have listened to podcasts that are both for and against taking it. It was David Sinclair that had me thinking about it. Plus, I work in healthcare, and it seems like every other patient I see is taking metformin and has been for years, so it must be pretty safe.

For now I will wait for more conclusive evidence that the benefits outweigh the risks for healthy people.

P.S. I did recently get an Oura ring and am tracking my sleep and working on getting the best sleep I can!
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Re: Is anyone taking Metformin for longevity (or considering it)?

Post by Jmac »

SoccerMom wrote:For now I will wait for more conclusive evidence that the benefits outweigh the risks for healthy people.
I listened to a Rhonda Patrick clip on metformin this morning while working out. Bottom line was that exercise outweighed the benefits of taking metformin in her opinion. She had some good points that had me walking into the kitchen and removing metformin from my supplement containers. https://youtu.be/2Bsk7qZ8888

Then I put in a new Google alert on aging and this one came up. https://foxsanantonio.com/news/local/po ... g-benefits

It didn't change my mind --- I'll wait for the results. Plus, one sentence in the article makes me think they're kinda looking at it as the magic pill to counter bad choices. I already know people who take metformin with the idea they can then eat whatever they want sugar-wise. Haven't had my first cuppa tea this morning, caffeine hasn't kicked in, gonna go back & read it again and then dig deeper regarding this study and others.

I'm still going to ditch metformin for now as I'm exercising the 150 hours a week that Patrick touted from a study comparing metformin to exercise.
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