The hypertension drug rilmenidine has been demonstrated to halt aging in worms, which might theoretically improve longevity and slow aging. According to Science Alert, the drug was selected because of previous studies that demonstrated it reflected the effects of caloric restriction at the cellular level.
Studies using animal models that reduce accessible energy whole also preserve nutrition, which increases longevity. The only question now is whether it is transferable to human biology or if it poses a health risk. The new study aims to find techniques that will provide similar benefits without incurring high costs but without high costs of excessive caloric restriction to improve health in old age.
What Is Rilmenidine?
As per a paper in the American Journal of Hypertension published in 2000, rilmenidine is an antihypertensive drug with I1 imidazoline receptor selectivity that lowers the sympathetic overactivity as well as blocks the Na+/H+ antiport in the kidney.
Rilmenidine has antihypertensive effectiveness similar to angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, -blockers, calcium channel blockers, and diuretics.
Numerous studies have shown the drug's clinical and metabolic tolerability in hypertensive populations, including those at special risk due to age, renal impairment, diabetes mellitus, or dyslipidemia.
Rilmenidine Used To Improve Lifespan and Healthspan of Roundworms
The findings of the study, titled "Rilmenidine Extends Lifespan and Healthspan in Caenorhabditis Elegans via a Nischarin I1 ‐Imidazoline Receptor" published in the journal Aging Cell, show that animals treated with rilmenidine at young and older ages had increased lifespan and improved health markers similar to the benefits given by caloric restriction.
Moreover, SciTech Daily reports that the team successfully showed that rilmenidine therapy improves healthspan and longevity in the roundworm C. elegans. The I1-imidazoline receptor nish-1 mediates the roundworm, indicating that this receptor may be a potential lifespan target.
Unlike other hypertension drugs previously evaluated for this purpose by the researchers, the frequently prescribed oral antihypertensive rilmenidine offers the potential for future human translatability due to uncommon and non-severe adverse effects.
Repurposing Drugs That Can Increase Lifespan
A caloric restriction diet has been the most effective anti-aging strategy so far and it has proven to enhance the lifespan across animal models. However, human trials of caloric restriction have had inconsistent outcomes and adverse effects, indicating that developing drugs like rilmenidine that can replicate the advantages of caloric restriction is the most logical anti-aging technique.
Professor Joo Pedro Magalhes explained that the benefits of postponing aging, even for a little while, have a huge impact on the aging population of the world. Magalhes conducted the research while at the University of Liverpool and is now working at the University of Birmingham.
In translational geroscience, there is a large untapped potential for repurposing medications capable of prolonging longevity and healthspan. The team was able to demonstrate using animal models for the first time that the hypertension drug rilmenidine can increase longevity. Now, they are curious to see if rilmenidine has any other therapeutic applications.
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