“We know that there is some research that shows metformin can prevent diabetes as well.
“We are very interested in it, it’s been around for a long time.”
It comes after medical records from 180,000 NHS patients were analysed to see how metformin stacked up against other diabetes drugs, and a “control” group of people without diabetes, and therefore not taking medicine for it.
The breakthrough finding was that diabetics taking metformin actually outlived the non-diabetic controls who weren’t on the drug.
Dr Lloyd added: “If you look at the way metformin works, you could say there might be some anti-ageing potential.
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