Metformin is a well-known medicine that has been used to treat diabetes for more than 50 years. But now, researchers from the University of Utah Health have found it may have another important benefit—it can help older people keep their muscles strong.
As we age, our muscles naturally get weaker. This makes it harder to recover from sickness or injury and increases the risk of falling or becoming seriously ill. That’s why this new discovery is so exciting. If Metformin can help muscles stay healthy, it could improve recovery times and even help people live longer, healthier lives.
So how does a diabetes drug help with muscles? The answer lies deep inside our bodies, in our cells. The research team discovered that Metformin targets certain cells known as senescent cells. These are sometimes called “zombie cells” because they’ve stopped working properly but don’t die. Instead, they hang around and cause problems.
Senescent cells can build up over time and create inflammation in the body. This inflammation can lead to the hardening or scarring of muscles, a condition called fibrosis. Fibrosis makes muscles stiff and weak. But the researchers found that Metformin can help control these harmful cells, reducing the amount of inflammation and helping muscles recover better.
Dr. Micah Drummond, the lead scientist, explained that this finding could be especially useful for older people who are recovering from surgery, like a knee replacement. These surgeries often require long recovery times, and weaker muscles can slow things down even more. If Metformin can help muscles bounce back faster, it could make a big difference.
To test this idea, the research team did a small study with 20 healthy older adults. First, they checked each person’s muscle condition with a biopsy and an MRI scan. Then, they divided them into two groups.
One group took Metformin, while the other took a placebo—a pill with no real medicine. Both groups then spent five days in bed, a situation that often causes muscle loss, especially in older people.
After the bed rest, the scientists repeated the muscle scans and biopsies. Then, everyone went back to their normal daily routine for a week, and the researchers did one final round of tests.
The results were clear. People who took Metformin during bed rest lost less muscle strength. Their muscles also showed less fibrosis, or hardening. Under the microscope, their muscles had fewer senescent cells compared to those who took the placebo.
This is the first study to directly show that Metformin might improve muscle recovery in older adults. Drummond and his team believe this could be a simple, safe way to help people stay strong as they age. They are now testing whether Metformin combined with an amino acid called leucine could make recovery even faster. Early tests in animals show promise.
Lead author Jonathan Petrocelli said their long-term goal is to help older people maintain their muscle health and independence. Muscle weakness is more than just a nuisance—it can lead to serious illness or even early death. That’s why this research matters.
Metformin is cheap, widely available, and known to be safe. If it can protect muscles as well as control blood sugar, it could become an even more important medicine for healthy aging.
This study was published in the journal Aging Cell. More research is already underway, but these first results offer real hope for improving life for older adults.
If you care about diabetes, please read studies about Vitamin D and type 2 diabetes, and to people with diabetes, some fruits are better than others.
For more health information, please see recent studies that low calorie diets may help reverse diabetes, and 5 vitamins that may prevent complication in diabetes.
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