Low-dose rapamycin improves muscle mass and well-being in aging adults
"Low-dose, intermittent rapamycin administration over 48 weeks is relatively safe in healthy, normative-aging adults, and was associated with significant improvements in lean tissue mass and pain in women"
2025-05-07
(Press-News.org)
“Low-dose, intermittent rapamycin administration over 48 weeks is relatively safe in healthy, normative-aging adults, and was associated with significant improvements in lean tissue mass and pain in women.”
BUFFALO, NY — May 7, 2025 — A new research paper was published in Aging (Aging-US) Volume 17, Issue 4, on April 4, 2025, titled “Influence of rapamycin on safety and healthspan metrics after one year: PEARL trial results.”
A research team led by first author Mauricio Moel and corresponding author Stefanie L. Morgan from AgelessRx conducted a clinical trial to determine whether low-dose, intermittent rapamycin could safely improve healthspan in older adults. The findings suggest rapamycin may offer measurable benefits for physical function and overall well-being, reinforcing its potential as a safe intervention to support healthy aging.
Aging remains the leading cause of chronic conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and dementia. While medical advances have extended lifespan, many people still experience declining health and reduced mobility in later years. This growing gap between lifespan and healthspan has driven interest in therapies that target aging itself. Rapamycin, an FDA-approved drug originally used in transplant medicine, has drawn attention for its ability to influence aging-related pathways in animal studies. Until recently, its safety and benefits in healthy human populations were largely unknown.
The PEARL trial is the longest study so far to explore rapamycin’s use for longevity in healthy aging adults. Researchers followed 114 participants aged 50 to 85 over 48 weeks in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled design. Participants received either a placebo or 5 mg or 10 mg of compounded rapamycin once per week. The study’s primary goal was to measure changes in visceral fat, while secondary outcomes included lean muscle mass, blood markers, and quality-of-life assessments.
The trial found that low-dose rapamycin was safe and well-tolerated, with serious side effects reported at similar rates across all groups. The most frequent minor issue among rapamycin users was mild gastrointestinal discomfort. While no significant reductions in visceral fat were observed, women taking 10 mg of rapamycin showed significant gains in lean muscle and reported reduced pain. In addition, participants taking 5 mg weekly reported improvements in emotional well-being and general health, as measured by validated surveys.
“Our findings provide evidence that these rapamycin regimens are well tolerated with minimal adverse effects when administered for at least one year within normative aging individuals.”
Researchers noted some limitations, including the relatively small and health-conscious participant group, which may have limited the ability to detect larger effects. The compounded form of rapamycin used also had lower absorption than commercial versions, possibly reducing its impact.
Overall, the PEARL trial provides early clinical evidence that low-dose rapamycin may help support physical and emotional well-being in older adults. Further studies with larger and more diverse populations will be essential to confirm the study results and refine dosing strategies for broader application.
Read the full paper: DOI: https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.206235
Corresponding authors: Stefanie L. Morgan – stefanie@agelessrx.com
Keywords: rapamycin, aging, healthspan, longevity, geroscience
Click here to sign up for free Altmetric alerts about this article.
______
To learn more about the journal, please visit our website at www.Aging-US.com and connect with us on social media at:
Facebook
X
Instagram
YouTube
LinkedIn
Reddit
Bluesky
Pinterest
Spotify, and available wherever you listen to podcasts
Click here to subscribe to Aging publication updates.
For media inquiries, please contact media@impactjournals.com.
END
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
2025-05-07
More than half of Black and Latina women in a study in South Los Angeles reported using personal care products that contain formaldehyde-releasing preservatives. Given that formaldehyde is known to cause cancer in humans, the study reveals both critical safety gaps in how personal care products are regulated in the United States and their disproportionate health impacts on women of color.
In recent years, growing concerns about exposure to formaldehyde in personal care products have focused on hair relaxers. For instance, recent studies show a link between ...
2025-05-07
Surgical face masks help prevent the spread of airborne pathogens and therefore were ubiquitous during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, a modified mask could also protect a wearer by detecting health conditions, including chronic kidney disease. Researchers reporting in ACS Sensors incorporated a specialized breath sensor within the fabric of a face mask to detect metabolites associated with the disease. In initial tests, the sensor correctly identified people with the condition most of the time.
Kidneys remove waste products made by the body’s metabolic processes. But in the ...
2025-05-07
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (May 7, 2025) – People who have struggled with asthma or allergies for years understand the psychological toll of these conditions. The May issue of Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (Annals), the scientific journal of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, explores the mental health burden these conditions can exact.
“The diseases we treat in allergy/immunology are primarily chronic illnesses and they often have a psychological impact on those who suffer from them,” says allergist Mitchell Grayson, MD, ...
2025-05-07
Learning about one’s risk for Alzheimer’s disease may not lead to emotional distress, but motivation to maintain healthy lifestyle changes tends to fade over time, even in people at high risk, according to a study involving a Rutgers Health researcher.
The study, published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia, was written by Sapir Golan Shekhtman, a doctoral degree student at the Joseph Sagol Neuroscience Center at the Sheba Medical Center in Israel, and led by Orit Lesman-Segev, a neuroradiologist at the Department of Diagnostic Imaging and researcher at the Joseph Sagol Neuroscience Center, Sheba Medical Center ...
2025-05-07
Two new advanced predictive algorithms use information about a person’s health conditions and simple blood tests to accurately predict a patient’s chances of having a currently undiagnosed cancer, including hard to diagnose liver and oral cancers. The new models could revolutionise how cancer is detected in primary care, and make it easier for patients to get treatment at much earlier stages.
The NHS currently uses prediction algorithms, such as the QCancer scores, to combine relevant ...
2025-05-07
Wealthy individuals have a higher carbon footprint. A new study published in Nature Climate Change quantifies the climate outcomes of these inequalities. It finds that the world’s wealthiest 10% are responsible for two thirds of observed global warming since 1990 and the resulting increases in climate extremes such as heatwaves and droughts.
The study assesses the contribution of the highest emitting groups within societies and finds that the top 1% of the wealthiest individuals globally contributed 26 times the global average to increases in monthly 1-in-100-year heat extremes globally and 17 times more to ...
2025-05-07
For Embargo Release: May 7, 2025 at 5 am ET USA
Media Contact: Katelyn Deckelbaum, katelyn.deckelbaum@gwu.edu
New Study Tracks Air Pollution and CO₂ Emissions Across Thousands of Cities Worldwide
WASHINGTON (May 7, 2025) - In a sweeping new study of more than 13,000 urban areas worldwide, researchers have mapped air pollution levels and carbon dioxide emissions, providing comprehensive global analysis of urban environmental quality.
The research led by George Washington University, in collaboration with scientists from Washington University in St. Louis and the University ...
2025-05-07
A major study of around 260,000 women shows that taking the progesterone-only contraceptive pill can increase asthma attacks in some women. The research, published in ERJ Open Research [1], shows an increase in asthma attacks in women with asthma who are taking the progesterone-only pill and either aged under 35, or using fewer asthma treatments, or with a type of asthma called eosinophilic asthma.
There was no increase in asthma attacks for women taking the combined oestrogen and progesterone contraceptive pill.
The researchers say their finding could be an important step towards understanding why women are more likely ...
2025-05-07
A portable device that can instantly detect dangerous street drugs at extremely low concentrations has been developed at the University of Bath in the UK.
The device, which is being trialled by drug-checking services in the UK, Norway and New Zealand, can identify substances such as benzodiazepines and synthetic opioids that are difficult to detect with existing mobile technologies and are major contributors to drug overdoses globally.
The device, which is similar to an ultraviolet spectrometer, will allow drugs to ...
2025-05-07
All 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia have adopted vertical identification laws, which require state drivers’ licenses issued to individuals under age 21 to be vertically oriented, with the goals of lowering the cost of age verification and curbing underage drinking and smoking. Research published in Contemporary Economic Policy indicates that these laws have not achieved these goals, however.
For the study, investigators analyzed 1991–2019 data from the national and state Youth Risk Behavior Surveys. ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
[Press-News.org] Low-dose rapamycin improves muscle mass and well-being in aging adults
"Low-dose, intermittent rapamycin administration over 48 weeks is relatively safe in healthy, normative-aging adults, and was associated with significant improvements in lean tissue mass and pain in women"
