目前，二甲双胍对老年非糖尿病患者的健康和寿命的影响是纽约TAME试验的主题。如果成功，这次试验可能会是首个“保护老人”或“抗衰老”的药片，它被认为是老年人可广泛使用的预防性药物。

The TAME trial is being watched keenly by the drug industry. Ageing is not yet recognised as an actual disease by regulatory authorities, which makes potential therapies that treat ageing less commercially viable.

医药行业正在密切注视TAME试验。衰老尚未被监管当局认定为是疾病，这使得治疗老年化的潜在疗法不太可商业化。

Any such drug will instead be targeted towards specific diseases of ageing, for example, arthritis or type 2 diabetes.

这种药物可以取代因衰老而产生的特定疾病的治疗药物，例如关节炎或2型糖尿病。

Regardless of whether any of the drugs above are eventually shown to be safe and effective in humans, the current advice for maintaining health in old age is predictable but effective. Exercise, a varied and moderate diet, maintaining social contact, and avoiding stress have profound health benefits, beyond anything that will ever be available in a pill.

无论上述任何药物最终是否会对对人体安全有效，目前而言，对老年人保持健康的最可靠建议仍然是锻炼、保持多样及适度的饮食、保持社交和避免压力。这些抗衰老措施效果显著，超越了任何一种药物的疗效。

重点词汇

genetical engineer：基因工程

extend lifespan：延长寿命

aging：衰老

protein：蛋白质

Rapamycin：雷帕霉素

autophagy：（细胞的）自我吞噬（作用）

metformin：二甲双胍

telomere：端粒（在染色体端位上的着丝点）