Originally FDA approved to treat and prevent type 2 diabetes, Metformin has been among the most widely prescribed medications in the world for over 60 years. It remains one of the safest and most cost-effective medications available, topping the World Health Organization’s List of Essential Medicines.
In recent years, Metformin has also received increasing attention for its many other benefits, including a lower risk of various types of cancer.
What Is Metformin?
Metformin is best known as a diabetes medication. Many living with type 2 diabetes rely on Metformin every day to keep their glucose levels within a safe range.
Metformin helps reduce glucose production from the liver and encourages our body to use insulin more efficiently. Both of these mechanisms help reduce the amount of insulin the body needs to produce, improving insulin sensitivity. This reduces the chance of higher than normal insulin levels.
As you can imagine, this is vital for those with type 2 diabetes. But these same mechanisms are also why Metformin has been championed as a longevity medication recently. They’re also why Metformin is being explored for its potential to reduce our risk of age-related diseases like cancer.
How Does Metformin Lower Cancer Risk?
It comes down to decreasing glucose and insulin levels. Cancer cells use glucose to grow and spread, while insulin helps deliver glucose to cancer cells on a silver platter. Too much glucose and insulin can spur the growth of cancer cells, which is where glucose control medications like Metformin come in.
Insulin is responsible for moving glucose out of the blood and into cells, as well as helping new cells grow. Cancer occurs when new cells grow excessively or abnormally. In some cases, new cells which may be stimulated by too much insulin can grow too aggressively, forming tumors.
Tumor cells are also known to use large amounts of glucose to grow quickly. That’s why high glucose levels can also accelerate the growth of cancer cells. Historically, this may be why people with higher insulin or glucose levels may be at greater risk of developing cancer.
Now, scientists have confirmed that Metformin can lower cancer risk by 50%, even for those who aren’t diabetic. Not only does Metformin lower total cancer mortality, but there is also strong evidence that Metformin particularly reduces risk of pancreatic cancer. In fact, Metformin reduces gastroenterological cancer risk as well, along with a reduced risk of prostate cancers and colon cancers.
How Can Metformin Help Me?
With so much science-backed support, Metformin is now prescribed off-label to non-diabetics for its diverse, science-backed benefits. In fact, Metformin is often prescribed to potentially prevent and treat cancers in specialty offices worldwide.
Oncologists like those at Care Oncology prescribe Metformin to treat cancer and deprive cancer cells of the nutrients it needs to grow and spread. Gynecologists have also started prescribing Metformin to treat and prevent ovarian cancers.
We need many more studies to confirm Metformin’s clinical efficacy. Only then will it officially be recognized for its ability to lower our risk for age-related diseases. But it’s no mystery that managing glucose with Metformin has incredible longevity benefits that help people enjoy a longer lifespan.
You can easily check your glucose levels with a CGM or by taking a quick wellness assessment. If your glucose levels are looking high, talk to your prescriber about adding Metformin to your longevity toolkit.
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Note: Metformin has not been approved by the FDA for these uses, but multiple studies, as referenced above, have shown these benefits.
FAQs
How do I know if Metformin is doing anything for me?
Some benefits of Metformin can be seen and appreciated within the first few months. These include reduced appetite and lowered blood sugar, which can be easily measured at home with a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM), or at your next doctor visit.
Metformin achieves its primary benefits by working on our metabolism to improve our health and reduce our risk for disease from a cellular level – all of which goes beyond what can be seen or felt, which may make it difficult for some to appreciate the benefits of Metformin. See our Metformin Science page for more details on how Metformin works to slow down the aging process and what can be measured to verify this.
How can I tell if Metformin is reducing my risk for cancer?
The benefits of reduced cancer risks with Metformin may be particularly difficult to appreciate. But we can rest assured that our risk is low by optimizing our glucose levels. To assess your overall risk of cancer, consider an at-home test like the Grail Multi-Cancer Early Detection Test, or schedule a visit with your doctor.
Are there some people who should not use Metformin?
Serious side effects for Metformin are very rare, which is why Metformin is one of the safest and most prescribed medicines worldwide. However, it should not be used by anybody who has an allergy to Metformin; anyone who has poor kidney function; or diabetics who are poorly controlled (unless closely supervised by their local doctor). There are many situations where Metformin can be used, but with caution or at lower doses than typically prescribed. Our medical team takes all of these factors into account when reviewing requests for prescriptions.