So, uh... does it work? Subscribe to see the next episode: null Metformin is an old, cheap drug used to help control blood sugar in people with diabetes. Now, it’s back in the news because some people - particularly wealthy people - are using it for possible anti-aging effects. That’s right. One of the most popular ways rich people are trying to live longer isn’t some million dollar cryo-something experiment, but a pill that costs pennies that's already on the market. So, the big question is: Does it work? To find out, I interviewed the lead researcher on the biggest study of metformin for anti-aging, Dr. Nir Barzilai. The answer he gives me? Well, it’s complicated. Note: I do not take metformin, nor am I advocating anyone else should. Please don't get medical advice from a youtube video! The purpose of this video is to explain the research that exists, explore what it tells us about aging in general, and discuss the effort Dr. Barzilai is leading to learn more. 00:00 What is metformin? 00:53 What is aging? 01:46 Can we slow aging? 02:27 Does metformin work for anti aging? 03:40 How does metformin work? 04:37 What is the TAME Trial? 05:46 Should I take metformin? 07:31 Why slow aging? Be featured in an episode - upload questions for me to answer! https://www.dropbox.com/request/Edocsb2kErpueQ7F9T1Q I tell different stories in different places: You can find me on TikTok here for short, fun explainers: https://www.tiktok.com/@cleoabram You can find me on Instagram here for more personal stories: https://www.instagram.com/cleoabram You can find me on Twitter here for thoughts and curated news: https://twitter.com/cleoabram Bio: Cleo Abram is an Emmy-nominated video producer and journalist. Cleo produces detailed explainer stories about technology and economics. She wrote the Coding and Diamonds episodes of Vox’s Netflix show, Explained, was the host and a senior producer of Vox’s first ever daily show, Answered, as well as a host and producer of Vox’s YouTube Originals show, Glad You Asked. She now makes her own independent show, Huge If True. Each episode takes on one big technology innovation or idea, explains what it is, and helps people imagine the ways it could improve the world we live in by answering one simple question: If this works, what could go right? Sources and additional reading: - TAME Trial FAQ https://www.afar.org/tame-trial - Dr. Nir Barzilai, Institute for Aging Research at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Faculty Profile https://einsteinmed.edu/faculty/484/nir-barzilai/ - “A beginner's guide to longevity research,” Laura Deming https://www.ldeming.com/longevityfaq - “Aging and the border between health and disease,” European Respiratory Journal https://erj.ersjournals.com/content/44/5/1332 - “Can people with type 2 diabetes live longer than those without? A comparison of mortality in people initiated with metformin or sulphonylurea monotherapy and matched, non-diabetic control,” Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism https://dom-pubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/dom.12354 - “A Critical Review of the Evidence That Metformin Is a Putative Anti-Aging Drug That Enhances Healthspan and Extends Lifespan,” Frontiers in Endocrinology https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fendo.2021.718942/full - “Metformin, a historical overview,” European Association for the Study of Diabetes https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00125-017-4318-z - “Metformin improves healthspan and lifespan in mice,” Nature Communications https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms3192 - “Metformin Retards Aging in C. elegans by Altering Microbial Folate and Methionine Metabolism,” Cell https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(13)00267-5?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0092867413002675%3Fshowall%3Dtrue - “Cancer,” Our World In Data https://ourworldindata.org/cancer - “Forget the Blood of Teens. This Pill Promises to Extend Life for a Nickel a Pop.” Wired https://www.wired.com/story/this-pill-promises-to-extend-life-for-a-nickel-a-pop/ - “Silicon Valley’s Quest to Live Forever,” The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/04/03/silicon-valleys-quest-to-live-forever Vox: https://www.vox.com/authors/cleo-abram IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10108242/ Gear I use: Camera: Sony A7SIII Lens: Sony 16–35 mm F2.8 GM Audio: Sennheiser SK AVX and Zoom H4N Pro Music: Musicbed Follow along for more episodes of Huge If True: null