US scientists have conducted an experiment with mice and found that diabetes drugs may have anti ageing effects if it is given in low doses otherwise It will be toxic.
Scientists believe the drug, metformin, will minimize the effects of calorie restriction. Taking a low calorie diet is thought to promote healthy ageing, BBC reported.
Rafael de Cabo of the National Institute on Ageing in Baltimore, US, said calorie restriction in experimental animals has shown to increase their lifespan. However, in the human study were unclear, the researchers said.
Metformin is a widely prescribed medicine for type-2 diabetes, which occurs mainly in people above the age of 40. It is also used to treat metabolic syndrome, a combination of diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity.
Earlier work has shown that metformin can extend the lifespan of simple organisms like worms, but studies in flies and mammals have given conflicting evidence.
The scientists gave one of two different doses of metformin to middle-aged male mice and found that lower doses increased lifespan by about five percent, and also delayed the onset of age-associated diseases.
But they said the higher dose of metformin was toxic and reduced the lifespan of mice, BBC reported.
De Cabo said further studies were needed to determine if metformin has any effect on human health and lifespan.