Abstract
Studies in mammals have demonstrated that hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia are important factors in aging and cancer. Inactivation of insulin/insulin-like signaling increases lifespan in nematodes, fruit flies, and mice. Life-prolonging effects of caloric restriction are in part due to reduction in IGF-1, insulin, and glucose levels. Antidiabetic biguanides such as metformin, which reduce hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia by decreasing insulin resistance, extend lifespan, and inhibit carcinogenesis in rodents. Will antidiabetic biguanides increase lifespan in humans?