A diabetes medicine shows potential to improve aging blood vessels

An experimental study found that a diabetes drug improved the flexibility and function of older blood vessels, prompting interest in benefits that extend beyond blood-sugar control. The results suggest a possible way to target the vessel stiffening that comes with age.

Researchers at the University of Missouri tested empagliflozin in older male mice after first looking at age-related differences in human volunteers. After six weeks, the treated animals showed healthier blood vessel responses than the untreated group.

The work, published in GeroScience in 2022, offers a biological basis for further study. However, the animal experiment did not prove that empagliflozin reverses vascular aging in people.

Healthy blood vessels must expand and respond to changes in blood flow. The lining of the vessels helps control relaxation, while the vessel wall's flexibility reduces the strain created each time the heart pumps blood.

As people age, that regulation can weaken and vessels can grow stiffer. Because these changes are tied to heart and blood vessel disease, vessel function has become an important focus in research on healthy aging.

In the human portion of the study, 18 younger adults, averaging about 25 years old, were compared with 18 older adults, averaging about 61. The older group had worse vessel function and greater arterial stiffness, matching the pattern the researchers set out to address.

The team then fed aged mice empagliflozin mixed into their diet. A comparison group stayed on a normal diet, allowing the researchers to measure differences in vessel behavior after the treatment period.

Empagliflozin is part of the SGLT2 inhibitor class, a group of drugs that alters how the kidneys process blood sugar. Its established role in certain heart and kidney conditions has led scientists to explore other ways it may affect cardiovascular health.

In the study, treated animals showed better function in the blood vessel lining and less stiffness in both small vessels and the aorta. The aorta is the main artery carrying blood away from the heart.

The researchers also found shifts in nitric oxide-related pathways, which help vessels relax, along with lower activity in processes linked to harmful reactive molecules. Changes inside vessel-wall cells provided additional clues about how the drug may work.

These findings help explain the outcome, but they do not show fewer heart attacks or longer life. The study examined vessel traits over a relatively short time in a specific animal model.

Only male mice were included in the treatment experiment, and the human volunteers did not receive the drug in that comparison. More medical studies are needed to determine the balance of benefits and risks for vascular aging in people.

The key takeaway is that some age-related vessel dysfunction may be modifiable through an existing drug pathway. That makes it a testable lead for future treatment, rather than evidence that a diabetes medicine should simply be used as an anti-aging therapy.

If you are interested in this topic, please read articles about Mediterranean diet could protect artery health, reduce heart disease risk, and Plant-based diets show promise in managing type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

For more information, please see articles about Green Mediterranean diet may improve heart and metabolic health, and Can Supplements Help Keep Your Arteries Healthy?.