Rilmenidine is a drug that’s usually prescribed to help people lower their blood pressure.
But according to new research, this common medication might also help people live longer and stay healthier as they age.
The study was published in the journal Aging Cell and led by Professor João Pedro Magalhães. He began this work at the University of Liverpool and now continues it at the University of Birmingham.
His team looked into how rilmenidine affects aging using a tiny roundworm called C. elegans. This worm is often used in aging studies because it has a short lifespan and reacts to treatments in ways that can help scientists understand human biology.
The researchers discovered something fascinating. The worms that received rilmenidine lived longer and stayed healthier. They showed similar benefits to those seen in animals that eat less food—a method known as caloric restriction, which has long been associated with increased lifespan. But unlike strict diets, this approach used a pill.
The study also identified a special receptor in the body called the I1-imidazoline receptor nish-1. It appears that this is the switch rilmenidine turns on to produce these anti-aging effects.
This finding is exciting because many people find it hard to stick to diets or caloric restriction plans. If a medication like rilmenidine could offer similar results without the challenges of strict dieting, it could be a much easier way to improve health and possibly extend life.
What makes this even more promising is that rilmenidine is already widely used and has a strong safety record. This means it might be possible to test its effects on humans sooner rather than later.
As the world’s population gets older, finding safe and simple ways to stay healthy longer is more important than ever. Professor Magalhães points out that even a small delay in aging could have huge benefits for society. His team plans to keep exploring rilmenidine to see if it can help in other ways too, beyond just lowering blood pressure.
So, it turns out that a medicine already sitting on pharmacy shelves might hold the key to a longer, healthier life. More studies are needed, but this research offers a fresh and hopeful way to think about aging and health.
If you’re concerned about high blood pressure, there are also helpful studies on other causes of the condition, small habits that can improve it, and how foods like potatoes might affect it.
The full study is available in the journal Aging Cell.
If you care about blood pressure, please read studies about Scientists find link between high blood pressure drugs and this skin disease and common high blood pressure medication may not be the best choice.
For more 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.
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