Effects from medications on functional biomarkers of aging in three longitudinal studies of aging in Sweden

• Published in: Aging cell 2024, Vol.23 (6), p.e14132-n/a
• Main Authors: Lopes De Oliveira, Thaís, Tang, Bowen, Bai, Ge, Sjölander, Arvid, Jylhävä, Juulia, Finkel, Deborah, Pedersen, Nancy L., Hassing, Linda B., Reynolds, Chandra A., Karlsson, Ida K., Hägg, Sara
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aging; Aging - drug effects; Analgesics; Anesthesia; Animal models; Antihypertensives; Biomarkers; Biomarkers - blood; Body mass index; Cognition - drug effects; Cognitive ability; cognitive function; Comorbidity; Constipation; Diabetes; Disease; Diuretics; Drugs; Female; Frailty; Gender differences; Gerontologi, medicinsk/hälsovetenskaplig inriktning; Gerontology, specialising in Medical and Health Sciences; Glucose; Humans; Inhalants; Lipids; Longitudinal Studies; Male; medication; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Narcotics; physical function; Population studies; Self report; Skin care products; Sweden; Thyroid gland; Twin studies; Twins; Ulcers
• ISSN: 1474-9718; 1474-9726; 1474-9726
• DOI: 10.1111/acel.14132

Antihypertensive, lipid‐lowering, and blood glucose‐lowering drugs have slowed down the aging process in animal models. In humans, studies are limited, have short follow‐up times, and show mixed results. Therefore, this study aimed to estimate the effects of commonly used medications on functional aging, cognitive function, and frailty. We included information on individuals from three Swedish longitudinal population‐based studies collected between 1986 and 2014. Our exposures were the 21 most used groups of medications among individuals aged 65 years and older in the Swedish population in 2022. Functional aging index (n = 1191), cognitive function (n = 1094), and frailty index (n = 1361) were the outcomes of interest. To estimate the medication effects, we used a self‐controlled analysis, where each individual is his/her own control, thereby adjusting for all time‐stable confounders. The analysis was additionally adjusted for time‐varying confounders (chronological age, Charlson Comorbidity Index, smoking, body mass index, and the number of drugs). The participants were 65.5–82.8 years at the first in‐person assessment. Adrenergics/inhalants (effect size = 0.089) and lipid‐modifying agents/plain (effect size = 0.082) were associated with higher values of cognitive function (improvement), and selective calcium channel blockers with mainly vascular effects (effect size = −0.129) were associated with lower values of the functional aging index (improvement). No beneficial effects were found on the frailty index. Adrenergics/inhalants, lipid‐modifying agents/plain, and selective calcium channel blockers with mainly vascular effects may benefit functional biomarkers of aging. More research is needed to investigate their clinical value in preventing adverse aging outcomes. Adrenergics/inhalants, lipid‐modifying agents, and selective calcium channel blockers with mainly vascular effects may benefit functional biomarkers of aging (functional aging index, cognitive function, and frailty index). Their effects could be due to positive pleiotropic effects related to better cellular and physiological performance.