An epigenetic aging analysis of randomized metformin and weight loss interventions in overweight postmenopausal breast cancer survivors

Scientists from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), in collaboration with international partners, have performed an epigenome-wide analysis of a randomized controlled trial among overweight or obese breast cancer survivors assigned to metformin, placebo, weight loss with metformin, or weight loss with placebo interventions. The study was published in the journal Clinical Epigenetics.

Existing evidence suggests that metformin and weight loss interventions may be useful strategies for promoting anti-ageing processes, although the relationships of these therapeutic interventions with measures of “epigenetic ageing” (DNA methylation-based biomarkers of biological ageing) remain unexplored.

The scientists investigated whether metformin and weight loss, in combination or independently, would decelerate epigenetic ageing, thus reflecting decreased ageing-associated risk of recurrence in breast cancer survivors. They performed a comprehensive analysis of epigenetic ageing measures that provide different information on biological ageing. No significant epigenetic ageing associations were observed by intervention arms after 6 months of interventions. Consistent with published reports in non-cancer patients, 6 months of metformin therapy may be inadequate to observe the expected epigenetic age deceleration. Longer-duration studies are needed to better characterize these relationships.

Nwanaji-Enwerem JC, Chung FFL, Van der Laan L, Novoloaca A, Cuenin C, Johansson H, et al.
An epigenetic aging analysis of randomized metformin and weight loss interventions in overweight postmenopausal breast cancer survivors
Clin Epigenet, Published online 17 December 2021;
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13148-021-01218-y

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