Rilmenidine as a calorie-restriction mimetic, the data is thinner than the hype
Posted by weekendnate in Research & News - 1 points, 0 comments.
A 2023 paper in Aging Cell found rilmenidine, an older blood pressure med, produced gene expression changes similar to calorie restriction in mice. Futura-Sciences is now calling it an "anti-aging breakthrough."
I'm skeptical. CR mimetics is a cool idea on paper, but mice living a bit longer on a known antihypertensive doesn't translate to humans popping pills and skipping the diet part. The dose used in the animal work was also way higher than what you'd give someone for blood pressure, so we'd be talking about a side effect profile that hasn't been characterized at those levels.
What I want to see is hard endpoints, not just transcript shifts. Does it move anything we actually care about, like insulin sensitivity, lipid panels, or grip strength over a year in older adults? Until then this feels like the longevity press doing what it always does, dressing up a small mechanistic finding as something earth-shaking.
Anyone here actually tried tracking rilmenidine off-label and seen anything move on their bloodwork?
Community discussion - research and educational context only. Not medical advice.