New Drug Could Help People Live For More Than 120 Years!

We may be about to enter an entirely new era when it comes to our understanding of longevity! The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has just approved human testing for the world's first anti-aging drug! While not an entirely new drug, this new use for it could turn everything on its head. Metformin, a widely used, widely available and incredible affordable diabetes medication, may actually slow down the aging process allowing people to live past 120 years. Previous studies have found that metformin slows the aging of microscopic worms and mice while allowing them to maintain better health for longer periods. In fact, the mice experienced a 40% increase in lifespan! A different study conducted at Cardiff University in 2014 found that diabetics taking metformin actually lived longer than people who didn't have diabetes. Insane, right? Beginning next winter, the clinical trials will include approximately 3,000 people between the ages of 70 and 80 who either have, or are at risk of having, cancer, dementia or heart disease. One of the trial's advisers,  Professor Gordon Lithgow of California’s Buck Institute for Research on Aging, says, "If you target an [aging] process and you slow down [aging] then you slow down all the diseases and pathology of [aging] as well. That’s revolutionary… Twenty years ago [aging] was a biological mystery. Now we are starting to understand what is going on." [bctt tweet="New Drug Could Help People Live For More Than 120 Years!"] The previous studies suggest that metformin makes cells more durable and less susceptible to malfunction by allowing them to receive more oxygen. This may be the key to eliminating diseases like cancer that thrive when cells deteriorate to the point that they can no longer fight off mutations. Doing way with cancer will only increase lifespan by about 3 years, says Lithgow, whereas an anti-aging drug could push it much farther. He says, "We know that it is possible for handfuls of people to live to very old age and still be physically and socially active, so clearly they carry some kind of protection in their bodies. They are essentially not [aging] as quickly. If we can harness that, then everyone can achieve those lifespans." This is exciting news to say the least! News that can have significant impact, and possibly some serious ramifications, for our current society! What do you think of the possibility of an anti-aging drug? Would you want to live that long? What would you do with your extra years? Or do you think increasing lifespan could damage our society? Source: Elite Daily [caption id="attachment_121550" align="alignleft" width="100"] @BodyRockTV[/caption] [caption id="attachment_121549" align="alignleft" width="100"] @BodyRockOfficial[/caption]