Rilmenidine is a medication usually given to people with high blood pressure. But now, scientists think it might do something even more amazing—help people live longer and stay healthier as they age.
According to a new study published in the journal Aging Cell, this widely used drug could one day become a powerful tool to slow down aging.
What’s exciting is that rilmenidine already has a good safety record and causes few side effects, so it could be ready for more research very soon.
The study was led by Professor João Pedro Magalhães, who started the research at the University of Liverpool and is now based at the University of Birmingham. His team wanted to know how rilmenidine affects aging.
To find out, they used a tiny worm called C. elegans. This worm is commonly used in labs to study aging because it has a short life and simple body.
What they found was surprising. Worms treated with rilmenidine lived longer than normal. Not only that, they also stayed healthier as they got older. These benefits looked a lot like what happens when animals eat fewer calories—a practice called caloric restriction, which is known to extend lifespan in many species.
The scientists discovered that rilmenidine works through a special receptor in the body called I1-imidazoline receptor nish-1. This receptor may be the key to how the drug improves both health and longevity.
Why does this matter? For years, scientists have known that eating less can help some animals live longer, but this doesn’t always work well in people. Dieting can be hard and may even cause side effects. Rilmenidine might offer a simpler way to get the same benefits—without needing to drastically change your eating habits.
Because rilmenidine is already approved for use and has been shown to be safe, researchers think it could be tested in humans soon. This gives hope for finding easier ways to improve health as we age.
With the number of older adults growing around the world, finding ways to delay aging is becoming more urgent. Even a small delay in aging could have huge benefits for people’s health and the healthcare system.
Professor Magalhães says that the next step is to explore whether rilmenidine can also help with other problems that come with aging—not just high blood pressure.
In summary, a simple drug that’s already helping people with blood pressure might also help us live longer and stay healthier. While more research is needed, this discovery could change the way we think about aging.
If you care about blood pressure, please read studies about common blood pressure medication that may extend your healthy life span and common high blood pressure drug linked to sudden cardiac arrest.
For more about blood pressure, please read studies that timing matters when taking high blood pressure pills and 1 in 5 people with high blood pressure taking a drug worsen the disease.
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