Scientists from the University of Liverpool have found that a widely used blood pressure drug called rilmenidine may help people live longer and stay healthier as they age. The drug is already used to treat high blood pressure, but researchers discovered that it could also slow down aging when tested on animals.
In their study, the researchers gave rilmenidine to animals at both young and old ages. They found that the animals lived longer and showed signs of better health, similar to the effects of a strict low-calorie diet.
Scientists have known for a long time that reducing calorie intake can extend lifespan in many species, but following such a diet is difficult for humans and may have unwanted side effects. Finding a drug that can mimic the same benefits without requiring extreme dieting would be a big step forward in aging research.
The researchers also identified a key part of the body that rilmenidine affects—a receptor called I1-imidazoline. This receptor seems to play an important role in how the drug works to slow aging. This discovery is exciting because it means scientists now have a clear target for developing future treatments to help people stay healthier for longer.
One of the advantages of rilmenidine is that it is already approved for medical use. Unlike some experimental anti-aging drugs, it is taken as a pill, has been safely used for years, and has only mild side effects. Because of this, it could be more easily tested and eventually used to help people live longer, healthier lives.
Aging is a growing concern worldwide, as more people are living longer but often suffer from age-related diseases. Even small improvements in delaying aging could have a big impact on public health. Scientists believe that repurposing existing drugs—medications that are already approved for other uses—could be a faster and more practical way to develop treatments for aging.
This is the first time that rilmenidine has been shown to extend lifespan in animals. Researchers now want to explore whether it could also help in other areas of medicine or benefit humans in similar ways. The study was led by Professor João Pedro Magalhães and his team and was published in the scientific journal Aging Cell.
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