Metformin: An Anti-Aging Drug!

Metformin is an old drug that is currently applied in the aging world. The rationale behind the purpose and its relevance on the degeneration of cells would be dependent on how it will react to your skin.

First, we need define what Metformin is and what it is for. This drug is used for obese diabetics with Type II Diabetes Mellitus. It regulates the blood sugar levels by three mechanisms:

• First, it lessens the sugar level that your liver produces.
• Second, it reduces the amount of sugar that is absorbs in the stomach.
• Third, it perks up the effectiveness of insulin in the body by increasing the sensitivity of insulin receptors. This basically only receives the insulin hormone, especially in reducing the sugar that already in the blood.

This drug, when used alone, will not cause any fatal side effects that can be commonly seen in diabetics. An example would be Hypoglycaemia or having an excessively low sugar in the body due to a sudden surge of insulin hormones.

When it comes to the anti-aging part of this drug, it is said by many Gentologists that diabetes can trigger an accelerated or premature aging to those who has it. As we age, we have a tendency to become diabetic. Some people are even more diabetic than others.

Metformin’s benefits may also include lessening the risk of age-related diabetes, avoiding sugar cravings, and making your sugar level stable. It can also assist in normalizing blood pressure, stimulating the release of growth hormone and enhancing the immune system that fights infection. Aside from this, it also lowers blood cholesterol levels and helps prevent bad cholesterol (LDL or Low Density Lipoproteins) from sticking to blood products and arteries. This will then diminish the hazards of blood clotting.

Moreover, this drug can also act as an anti-oxidant, which fights off the oxygen free radicals. These substances, when accumulated, can cause aging. In this respect, it trims down the formation of AGE’s or Advanced Glycated End products. If this accumulates, it can bring the body into the degeneration process or aging.

These advanced Glycated end products tend to increase in diabetics than non-diabetics. AGE’s formation is reduced especially in collagen containing areas of the body like that of the skin. This means that it can prevent stiffness of the skin, thus preventing wrinkle formation and even improves cross-linking, which induces damage to the nerves.

The drug’s action is also more on implementing the carbonyl trapping ability. This means that the blood clot formation can be reduced. Thus, this can lessen the risk of thrombosis or blood clot that can get trapped in the vessels.

Metformin is a remarkable drug that can prevent the metabolic outline of aging and influence prolonging our life span. The only common side effects seen with this drug are stomach upsets and diarrhoea. This only occurs in about 10% of users. It is also recommended that patients should start taking it in low dosages. This would be using only half a tablet a day, for one week or two weeks.

Patients with kidney function problems should only take Metformin under the supervision and care of a doctor and should have their blood levels of lactic acid checked from time to time. This is because there is a theoretical risk of Lactic Acidosis, in which, patients will have high levels of lactic acid in the body.

Another problem is that Metformin have shown some ability to impair the absorption of Vitamin B12, which is also termed as Cyanocobalamin. Lacking Vitamin B12 can cause Pernicious Anaemia or Megaloblastic Anaemia, with or without peripheral neuropathy. You may also feel some tingling sensation on your extremities. These two are types of Anaemia that can bring a kind of fatigability or weakness to the patient.

Some reminders for the use of this drug:

• The use of this product should be under the care and guidance of a registered physician.
• Children and lactating women or women who gives breast feeding must not use this.
• Women who believe they are pregnant; who wants to be pregnant and currently pregnant should not use them.
• An individual who is, at present, taking another drug should seek their doctor’s advice regarding the utilization of Metformin, along with their current medication.
• Any person who is already suffering from any serious medical disorder like epilepsy, heart conditions, blood problems, kidney diseases, liver problems must seek the aid of their doctor or, better still, should refrain from using such drug, if not indicated or prescribed by his or her physician.