Scientists from the University of Liverpool have discovered that a common blood pressure medication, rilmenidine, may help slow the aging process and extend lifespan. This surprising finding suggests that a drug already used by many people could one day be repurposed to help people live longer, healthier lives.
Rilmenidine is an oral medication that is already widely prescribed to treat high blood pressure. It has a good safety profile, with side effects that are rare and generally not severe. Unlike some experimental drugs studied for anti-aging, rilmenidine is already approved and in use, making it easier to consider for future use in humans.
In the study, researchers gave rilmenidine to animals—both young and old—and found that it increased their lifespan and improved their overall health. The treated animals showed similar changes to those seen in animals on calorie-restricted diets, which are known to slow aging and increase longevity in many species.
Calorie restriction, which means eating significantly fewer calories while still getting enough nutrients, has long been known as one of the most effective ways to slow aging in laboratory animals.
However, this approach is difficult to maintain and has had mixed results in human studies, with some people experiencing unwanted side effects such as fatigue or weakened immune function. Because of this, scientists have been searching for drugs that can mimic the effects of calorie restriction—without the need to drastically reduce food intake.
This study suggests that rilmenidine might be one of those drugs. It appears to work by acting on a specific protein in the body called the I1-imidazoline receptor, known in the study as nish-1.
This receptor seems to play a key role in the drug’s ability to extend lifespan and improve health. By targeting this receptor, rilmenidine mimics the body’s response to a calorie-restricted diet, but without the need to actually eat less.
What makes this research particularly exciting is that it’s the first time rilmenidine has been shown to increase lifespan in animals.
According to the research team, led by Professor João Pedro Magalhães, this discovery opens the door to exploring rilmenidine’s possible uses beyond blood pressure treatment. They believe the drug could have other benefits that haven’t yet been studied.
With a growing global population of older adults, even small advances in delaying aging could have a huge impact. People are living longer, but not always healthier.
Extending the years of good health—often referred to as “healthspan”—is becoming a top goal in medical research. Drugs like rilmenidine could help people stay active and independent for longer, reducing the burden of age-related diseases.
The idea of using existing drugs to fight aging is gaining attention in the scientific community. Because these medications have already been approved for other uses, they don’t need to go through the same lengthy testing process as brand-new drugs. This makes them an attractive option for researchers working in the field of aging and longevity.
The study was published in the scientific journal Aging Cell. While more research is needed to see if the same effects happen in humans, the team is hopeful that rilmenidine—and perhaps other similar drugs—could one day be used to promote healthy aging in people.
If you care about high blood pressure, please read studies about breakfast for better blood pressure management, and the gut feeling that lowers blood pressure.
For more health information, please see recent studies about how the dash diet helps lower blood pressure, and how to eat your way to healthy blood pressure.
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