As we get older, our bodies naturally change. Things don’t work as well as they used to, and we’re more likely to get sick.
Aging is a part of life, but scientists all over the world have been working hard to find ways to slow it down or make it easier.
One method that has gained attention is something called caloric restriction.
This means eating fewer calories while still getting all the important nutrients your body needs.
Studies have shown that this can help animals live longer and stay healthier. But doing this in humans can be hard, and the results have not always been consistent.
Because of that, scientists have been looking at whether certain medicines can copy the effects of caloric restriction without needing to drastically change a person’s diet. Some drugs like metformin, rapamycin, and resveratrol have shown promise in research. But these options often come with problems, like needing to be injected or having strong side effects.
Now, scientists from the University of Liverpool have found a surprising new option: a blood pressure medicine called rilmenidine. This drug is already used by doctors to help lower high blood pressure. In their study, the researchers found that rilmenidine helped worms, fruit flies, and mice live longer.
Not only that, but the animals that took the drug also showed better signs of health, both when they were young and when they were old. These benefits were similar to what’s seen with caloric restriction.
So, how does rilmenidine work? The researchers discovered that it affects a part of the body called the I1-imidazoline receptor, also known as nischarin-1. This seems to play a big role in how the drug improves health and helps animals live longer. If this receptor is important for healthy aging, it could be a good target for future drugs.
What makes rilmenidine special is that it’s already available and taken by mouth. That makes it easier and more comfortable for people compared to other drugs that need injections. It also has fewer serious side effects, which is a big advantage when thinking about long-term use.
Why is this important? Because people all over the world are living longer. If we can find a way to slightly slow down the aging process, even by a little, it could lead to big benefits. People might live more years without getting sick or needing as much care. Using a medicine we already have—like rilmenidine—could be a smart and fast way to make this happen.
Still, more research is needed. We need to better understand how rilmenidine works, and if it can help humans the same way it helped animals in the lab. But this study gives us hope. It shows that medicines made for one purpose might also help in other unexpected ways.
This discovery could change how we think about aging. It also opens the door to new ideas about how we might live longer, healthier lives using medicines that are already on pharmacy shelves.
If you care about blood pressure, please read studies about high blood pressure treatment: ARBs vs. ACE inhibitors and blood pressure response to exercise can predict future heart disease.
For more about blood pressure, please read studies about This daily food is very important for blood pressure and heart health and Common blood pressure medication may have harmful side effects.
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