A new study published in the journal aging cell revealed that the rilmenidine, famous medicine for blood pressure, has the ability to slow down the aging process in worms, which raised the possibility that the drug could have similar effects in humans.
This research opens up new possibilities precisely at a time when the search for improvements in the health of elderly people is gaining momentum.
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Expectations
Rilmenidine was chosen for this research because of its ability to mimic the effects of caloric restriction at the cellular level.
Previous research has shown that restricting caloric intake while maintaining adequate nutrition can prolong life. Life expectancy in several animals.
While the results of this study for human biology, including potential health risks, are still up for debate, the scientists behind the study are optimistic.
For them, finding alternative ways to get the same benefits — without extreme calorie cutting — could lead to breakthroughs in improving the health and well-being of seniors.
The study
In a series of experiments carried out by an international team of researchers, young and old worms of the species Caenorhabditis elegans, treated with rilmenidine, lived longer and had better health indicators, reflecting the effects of caloric restriction, as expected by the researchers.
“For the first time, we were able to demonstrate in animals that rilmenidine can increase the expectation of life," said João Pedro Magalhães, a molecular biogerontologist at the University of Birmingham, UK United. "We are now interested in exploring whether rilmenidine might have other clinical applications."
the worm Caenorhabditis elegans was chosen for the study because of its genetic similarities to humans. Furthermore, additional testing revealed that genetic activity associated with caloric restriction could be observed in the kidney and liver tissues of mice treated with rilmenidine.
Another significant discovery was the identification of a biological signaling receptor called nish-1, which was shown to be crucial to the effectiveness of rilmenidine.
This receptor could be the target of future attempts to improve life expectancy and quality of life in people, especially in old age.
For Magalhães, the benefits of delaying aging, even in a minimal way, will be immense in a global population in aging, emphasizing the potential importance of these findings.
However, it is important to point out that more research is needed to determine whether rilmenidine can be used as an anti-aging drug in humans safely and effectively.