Anti-Aging Effect of Metformin: A Molecular and Therapeutical Perspective.

Aging is a time-dependent inevitable process, in which cellular homeostasis is affected, which has an impact on tissue function. This represents a risk factor for the development of numerous non-transmissible diseases. In consequence, the scientific community continues to search for therapeutic measures capable of improving quality of life and delaying cellular aging. At the center of this research is metformin, a widely used drug in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus treatment that has a reduced adverse effects profile. Furthermore, there is evidence that this drug has beneficial health effects that go beyond its anti-hyperglycemic properties. Among these effects, its geronto-protection capability stands out. There is growing evidence that points out to an increased life expectancy as well as the quality of life in model organisms treated with metformin. Therefore, there is an abundance of research centered on elucidating the mechanism through which metformin has its anti-aging effects. Among these, the AMPK, mTORC1, SIRT1, FOXO, NF.kB, and DICER1 pathways can be mentioned. Furthermore, studies have highlighted the possibility of a role for the gut microbiome in these processes. The next step is the design of clinical essays that have as a goal evaluating the efficacy and safety of metformin as an anti-aging drug in humans to create a paradigm in the medical horizon. The question being if metformin is, in fact, the new antiaging therapy in humans?

Is "Leptin Resistance" Another Key Resistance to Manage Type 2 Diabetes?

Although novel pharmacological options for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) have been observed to modulate the functionality of several key organs in glucose homeostasis, successful regulation of insulin resistance (IR), body weight management, and pharmacological treatment of obesity remain notable problems in endocrinology. Leptin may be a pivotal player in this scenario, as an adipokine which centrally regulates appetite and energy balance. In obesity, excessive caloric intake promotes a low-grade inflammatory response, which leads to dysregulations in lipid storage and adipokine secretion. In turn, these entail alterations in leptin sensitivity, leptin transport across the blood-brain barrier and defects in post-receptor signaling. Furthermore, hypothalamic inflammation and endoplasmic reticulum stress may increase the expression of molecules which may disrupt leptin signaling. Abundant evidence has linked obesity and leptin resistance, which may precede or occur simultaneously to IR and DM2. Thus, leptin sensitivity may be a potential early therapeutic target that demands further preclinical and clinical research. Modulators of insulin sensitivity have been tested in animal models and small clinical trials with promising results, especially in combination with agents such as amylin and GLP-1 analogs, in particular, due to their central activity in the hypothalamus.

Discapacidad y mototaxismo en Cartagena, Colombia / Disability and motorcycle taxi drivers in Cartagena, Colombia

Objetivo: estimar el nivel de dependencia funcional comomedida de la discapacidad en un grupo de mototaxistas enCartagena. Metodología: estudio descriptivo retrospectivo.Se revisaron 1123 expedientes correspondientes a losmototaxistas que sufrieron un accidente de tránsito enCartagena; de los cuales se determinó en 262 sujetosel nivel de dependencia funcional con respecto a larealización de algunas actividades básicas de la vidadiaria, mediante la escala de Barthel. Para el análisis delos resultados se utilizó la base de datos Epi Info versión3.5.1, las variables se presentan en frecuencias absolutasy relativas. Resultados: se encontró que el 53.4% delos sujetos presentan dependencia funcional leve y el15,6% presentan dependencia moderada. El 76% de losencuestados manifestaron no realizar actividades laborales.Conclusiones: la dependencia funcional como medida de ladiscapacidad es una consecuencia altamente probable de losaccidentes de tránsito entre los moto-taxistas.

Objective: to estimate the functional dependency as ameasure of disability in a group of motorcycle taxi driversfrom Cartagena, Colombia. Methods: a retrospectivedescriptive study in which researchers reviewed 1123 filesof motorcycle taxi drivers involved in traffic accidents inCartagena during 2006. The level of functional dependenceregarding performance of some basic activities of daily lifewas determined for 262 subjects using the Barthel scale.Furthermore, data analysis was carried out using the EpiInfo3.5.1 database, and variables are presented in absolute andrelative frequencies. Results: it was found that 53.4% ofsubjects had mild functional dependence and 15.6% hadmoderate dependence. 76% of the participants said they wereunemployed. Conclusions: functional dependence as a measureof disability is a highly probable result of traffic accidentsamong motorcycle taxi drivers.