As we get older, our bodies go through many changes. One big change happens inside our blood vessels.
These vessels become harder and don’t work as well, which can lead to heart disease—the number one cause of death in older people.
While things like exercise, blood pressure pills, and cholesterol-lowering drugs can help, scientists are still looking for better ways to keep blood vessels healthy in older adults.
A new study published in the journal GeroScience looked at a drug called Empagliflozin, also known as Empa. This drug is usually used to lower blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes. But now, researchers are exploring whether it can also help protect blood vessels as we age.
In the first part of the study, scientists compared blood vessel health between two groups of people: one group was about 25 years old, and the other was about 61 years old. As expected, the older group had more problems. Their blood vessels were stiffer, and the inner lining wasn’t as healthy. These changes are common signs of aging in blood vessels.
The second part of the study was done on older male mice—about 72 weeks old, which is considered quite old for mice. The mice were split into two groups. One group ate food mixed with the drug Empa, while the other group ate regular food without the drug.
After six weeks, the mice that had taken Empa showed major improvements. Their blood vessels worked better, their arteries were less stiff, and other signs pointed to healthier blood vessels.
So how does this drug work? Empa blocks something in the kidneys called SGLT2. This usually helps the kidneys put sugar back into the blood. By blocking SGLT2, the drug helps lower blood sugar levels. This is the first time researchers have looked at whether blocking SGLT2 can also help with aging blood vessels—not just blood sugar.
Even though the study was done on mice, it gives scientists hope. The results were good enough to start thinking about bigger studies with real people. If Empa shows the same results in humans, it could become a new tool to help older people keep their blood vessels healthy. This would be a big help in fighting age-related heart disease.
The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health and a VA Merit Grant. The researchers also made it clear they have no personal or financial interests in the outcome. That makes their findings even more trustworthy. This early research could open the door to new ways of protecting blood vessels and improving the health of older adults.
If you care about diabetes, please read studies about the cooking connection between potatoes and diabetes, and low calorie diets may help reverse type 2 diabetes.
For more health information, please see recent studies about protein power: a new ally in diabetes management, and pineapple and diabetes: A sweet surprise.
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