A diabetes drug called henagliflozin may do more than just help control blood sugar—it might also help slow down aging.
In a recent study from China, scientists found that this medicine could protect parts of our DNA that are linked to how we age. The results of the study were published in the journal Cell Reports Medicine.
The researchers focused on a part of our DNA called telomeres. Telomeres are like small caps that sit at the ends of our chromosomes, which carry our genetic material. These caps protect the DNA from getting damaged, but over time, telomeres get shorter.
This shortening is a natural part of aging. When telomeres become too short, the cell can no longer divide or function properly, and this can lead to aging and age-related diseases.
In this study, 142 people between the ages of 35 and 70 with type 2 diabetes were split into two groups. One group took henagliflozin every day, while the other group took a fake pill, called a placebo. After 26 weeks, the researchers measured the length of each person’s telomeres and checked their blood sugar levels.
They found that nearly 91% of people taking henagliflozin had longer telomeres after the treatment, compared to about 66% in the placebo group. This suggests that the drug had a positive effect on aging-related markers in the body.
Although people in both groups also followed healthy lifestyle habits during the study—which may have helped a little—the bigger improvement in the henagliflozin group shows the drug had its own unique effect.
Henagliflozin belongs to a class of drugs called SGLT2 inhibitors. These drugs work by helping the kidneys remove extra sugar from the blood through urine.
Besides lowering blood sugar, they are also known to help with weight loss and can mimic the effects of eating fewer calories. Eating fewer calories has long been linked to slower aging, so scientists wondered if these drugs might also have anti-aging benefits.
This study looked at more than just telomeres. The scientists also measured insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), which plays a role in growth and metabolism. People taking henagliflozin had increases in helpful growth factors and improved immune function. These are also signs of better health and slower aging.
This research is important because type 2 diabetes is a growing problem around the world. The number of people with diabetes is expected to reach 700 million by the year 2045. Diabetes is often linked to faster aging, as it can cause damage to cells and tissues. Finding a treatment that can manage both diabetes and aging would be a big step forward.
Even though the study is promising, experts say more research is needed. Telomere length is a useful tool to study aging, but it’s not the only one. Larger studies with more people and more markers of aging will help us better understand if henagliflozin truly helps us age more slowly.
This study brings hope that one day, diabetes drugs like henagliflozin could be used to help people live not just longer, but healthier lives.
The study is published in Cell Reports Medicine.
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