Metformin - Based on latest 2022 info, Any health / lifespan benefit for Non-Diabetics?

I currently have glucose levels below that of pre-diabetic, 65 years old and a lean body. I exercise for at least 5 hours a week and walk around 10km / day. I take rapamycin 5mg once a week and a variety of supplements.

I am very confused lately as I see people suggesting there’s a benefit in taking Metformin and others suggesting there’s no benefit.

Would appreciate hearing the views of the forum members on this topic.

Thanks

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Unfortunately there is no clear cut answer. Nir Barzilai and other experts believe there is net benefit for all from taking metformin. Peter Attia and other experts believe for people exercising properly and doing other things well that metformin will cause newt negative effects.

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typo - “net” negative effects.

Metformin has a nice way of blunting prostate cancer I read several places. Thats good to know as a aging male.

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There will be strong disagreement on this topic. My opinion is “no”. There is no reason to take Metformin if you’re not a diabetic.

Yes, there has been a lot of disagreement about metformin on this forum. But, IMO: the weight of the evidence is strongly in favor of metformin even for non-diabetics. I am ~82 and have been taking metformin for decades. I am certainly in much better health than most of my contemporaries.
“Recently, it has also been reported in some studies, but not all, that metformin, besides improvement of glucose homeostasis, may possibly reduce the risk of cancer development, inhibit the incidence of neurodegenerative disease and prolong the lifespan.”
Personally, I am a big fan of metformin and I started taking it as one of the first drugs proven to be a life extension protocol.

The Current and Potential Therapeutic Use of Metformin—The Good Old Drug

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7915435/

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Metformin is synergistic with Rapamycin and treats the “Rapa Diabetes” that most people get. If you are taking Rapamycin, you should be taking either Acarbose or Metformin as well to maximize lifespan benefits.

The ITP results support this assertion as well as Mice given Rapamycin + Acarbose or Metformin had longer lifespans than Rapamycin by itself.

Trust the science.

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The Tame trial with 10,000’s of people was funded by NIE because there was a study that showed diabetes taking Metformin outlived people that did not have diabetes. Also studies on taking Rapa with Metformin worked better than alone. The NIE would not have funded it without good cause. First large trial on ageing intervention. My take is, that taking anything that lowers blood sugar is very good. High glucose levels = arterial inflammation = plaque = heart attacks, strokes, and kidney disease. Slowing ageing is a combination of many interventions. Keep weight low by keeping glucose low with whatever means you have, blood pressure under 120 with ACE inhbiitors, and Rapamycin.

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FWIW

TheTAME study is still in the funding stage, review the January 04, 2023 article in the Financial Times by Hannah Kuchler.

See posting;

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Hello and thanks for your answer to my question. Do you have any more information on this topic. For yourself, are you taking Metformin, are you pre-diabetic, and if so what dose.

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Based on the mechanisms of metformin, am i right in thinking occasional/sporadic use isn’t crazy. I take it as insurance when i feel my exercise/diet is on the poorer side

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Hi, thanks for this post. Is there a thread on here highlighting likely impact on hba1c of various rapa dosing. Id love to see some anecdotal data

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Actually, I have no idea. I have taken it steadily for decades without any but brief interruptions. Some people seem to have side effects from it, but I haven’t personally experienced any. I have never had any trouble maintaining muscle mass when taking metformin.

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Eduardo of International Longevity Alliance (ITP) shows that 1000mg metformin increases LS of mice fed 14ppm rapamycin

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To answer your question, I probably would be pre diabetic if I wasn’t taking metformin. I have been taking it daily for 4 years. I started at 2g a day, but after 2 years, I developed hypoglycemia. I am now taking 0.5-1 g daily, with more being taken when I dose Rapamycin. I have never officially been diagnosed as a diabetic as my blood work is always excellent.

At higher doses, metformin gave me bad gas and diarrhea. At low doses it keeps me very regular. I probably poop about 3-4 times daily because of it. It’s definitely a cure for constipation.

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How much do you take?
With Rapamycin?
Have you done the Levi?

Thanks.

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As I said earlier, a lot of different opinions here, and I have no interest in arguing. Each of us has to make their own decisions about all of these supplements by weighing risk vs benefit.
My decision not to take Metformin was based on the following:
The big study that everyone quotes about metformin being a wonder drug was a very poor quality study.
Newer studies have not been able to get the same results.
Although some studies in mice were positive, others showed no benefit or even toxicity.
I think for basic glucose control, Acarbose and SGLT2 inhibitors are a better option. GLP1’s for weigh/t loss.
The doctors/scientists in the field that I trust, do not take Metformin.

And I recommend the only n of 1 study you pay attention to is your own.

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My debate is that I’m also on an SGLT2 inhibitor and I get ~150 min/week of zone 2 cardio. I don’t want to blunt the adaptations from exercise that metformin is shown to do (mainly VO2 max). Although I recently started semaglutide as well, I’d be on metformin if not for the VO2 problem. I’ve not experienced hypoglycemia from being on all these drugs simultaneously, so IMO there’s no other good reason to not be on it (I attribute this 100% to becoming fat adapted by TRF). In other words, I don’t think there’s such a thing as doing too much in terms of blood sugar control. Rhonda Patrick’s opinion is that pre-diabetics are better off using exercise to achieve the same thing. I’m laying off the metformin for now.

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Currently, I am taking 1 gram. 500 mg evening and morning.

At this dosage, I do not experience any side effects such as diarrhea, etc.

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If you are taking Acarbose or an SGLT2 inhibitor, there probably isn’t much to be gained by taking metformin as well. If you are only taking Rapamycin, then metformin may be beneficial to take as well. Metformin was touted more when SGLT2 inhibitors and Acarbose were not widely known or accepted or even available.

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