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Can Antidiabetic Medications Affect Telomere Length in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes? A Mini-Review

Baoding Qin1

  • 1Department of Endocrinology, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.

Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity : Targets and Therapy
|November 29, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Certain antidiabetic drugs may slow aging in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients by affecting telomere length. Metformin and sitagliptin show protective effects, while insulin may accelerate aging.

Area of Science:

  • Endocrinology
  • Gerontology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Aging is accelerated in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients.
  • Telomere shortening is a key indicator of biological aging.
  • Antidiabetic medications are being investigated for their anti-aging properties.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review clinical trials on the association between antidiabetic drugs and telomere length (TL) in T2DM patients.
  • To explore how antidiabetic medications influence aging through telomere dynamics.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review of clinical trials.
  • Analysis of studies investigating telomere length in T2DM patients treated with various antidiabetic medications.

Main Results:

  • Metformin and sitagliptin may preserve telomere length in T2DM patients.
  • Exogenous insulin use appears to be associated with accelerated telomere shortening.
  • Evidence regarding acarbose and glyburide's effect on TL in T2DM is inconclusive due to limited longitudinal data.

Conclusions:

  • Antidiabetic medications differentially impact telomere length in T2DM.
  • Metformin and sitagliptin show potential for anti-aging effects by protecting telomeres.
  • Further research is needed to clarify the role of other antidiabetic agents in T2DM aging.
Keywords:
agingantidiabetic medicationstelomere lengthtype 2 diabetes

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