Transplant Drug May Extend Life Span

Rapamycin, a medication prescribed for transplant patients, may help old mice live longer, the Associated Press reports.

A study published in the journal Nature showed that aged male and female mice who received the drug lived longer; some lived more than 50 percent longer than untreated mice. Treated female mice lived on average 14 percent longer while males lived on average 9 percent longer. In transplant patients, rapamycin suppresses the immune system, which helps prevent their bodies from rejecting the new organ. But it also reduces inflammation, so it could ward off age-related diseases like cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer's, Reuters reports. "Rapamycin may extend life span by postponing death from cancer, by retarding mechanisms of aging, or both," the researchers wrote.

Check out these 5 common myths about aging, and learn how to avoid the 12 health risks of aging that include colon cancer, varicose veins, and muscle loss. Here are 3 wrinkle treatments that really work along with ways to prevent wrinkles from forming.

Return to News Home