Painkiller could slow ageing process, researchers find

An over-the-counter painkiller could hold back ageing, research suggests.

In laboratory tests ibuprofen was found to extend the lives of worms and flies by the equivalent of about 12 years in human terms. The creatures not only lived longer but seemed to maintain their fitness and health as they aged.

Despite the big evolutionary gap between worms and people, scientists believe they have stumbled on a new aspect to ageing that could have major implications for humans.

Lead researcher Prof Michael Polymenis, from Texas A&M University in the United States, said: “We are not sure why this works but it is worth exploring further.

“This study was a proof of principle, to show that common, relatively safe drugs in humans can extend the lifespan of very diverse organisms.

“Therefore, it should be possible to find others like ibuprofen with even better ability to extend lifespan, with the aim of adding healthy years of life in people.”

Ibuprofen, like aspirin, is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug used to treat pain and fever. It was developed by Boots in the 1960s and became available over the counter in the 1980s. The World Health Organisation includes it on its list of “essential medications” needed in every basic health system.

Although considered relatively safe, high doses can have harmful side effects that affect the gastrointestinal tract and liver.

In the research, scientists exposed three model organisms – baker's yeast, the lab worm Caenorhabditis elegans and the fruit fly – to ibuprofen. The doses used were broadly the equivalent of those taken by humans.

The treatment added about 15 per cent to the lives of the different species, which in human terms amounts to an extra 12 or so years of life. It was also healthy living time.

Both the treated flies and worms appeared healthier in old age than those left untreated, the scientists reported in the online journal Public Library of Science Genetics.

Dr Chong He, from the Buck Institute for Age Research in California, a co-author of the study, said: “Healthy worms tend to thrash a lot and the treated worms thrashed much longer than would be normally expected. As they aged, they also swallowed food much faster than expected.”

A possible clue to the effect came when the scientists found that ibuprofen interfered with the ability of yeast cells to pick up tryptophan, an amino acid protein building block found in every organism.

Tryptophan is an essential nutrient obtained in the diet from protein. Why blocking tryptophan might affect ageing is still unknown.