This would be cool....
My kids jokingly tell me that I'm older than dirt....while those that are just look askance at that phrase when I tell them that. Either way, me and the "older than dirt" folks will like this info
A daily dose of an investigational medication has been found to restore muscle mass in the arms and legs of older adults and improve some of their biochemistry to levels found in healthy young adults, suggesting an anti-frailty drug has been found.
The drug, called MK-677, was evaluated for its safety and effectiveness in a study that showed the drug restored 20 percent of muscle mass loss associated with normal aging. In fact, levels of growth hormone (GH) and of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF- I) in healthy seniors who took the drug increased to the levels found in healthy young adults, said Michael O. Thorner, a professor of internal medicine and neurosurgery at the University of Virginia Health System.
...Funded by the National Institutes of Health, the two-year, double-blind, placebo-controlled study involved 65 men and women ranging in age from 60 to 81. The results are detailed in the Nov. 4, 2008, issue of the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.
The drug mimics the action of ghrelin, a peptide that stimulates a growth hormone called secretagogue receptor (GHSR). Drug developers are focusing on GHSR because it plays an important role in the regulation of growth hormone and appetite. They think it may prove to be an excellent treatment target for metabolic disorders such as those related to body weight and body composition.
And will love it if it actually pans out! As Glenn says "More faster please!"
Actually, this would be great for people as they grow old - muscle mass loss is indeed a large part of aging. Keep that loss to a minimum would go a long way to a more productive life as we age.
After all, we'll all need more strength acting as baggers at the local grocery store when (and if) we get to retire....
(H/T: Instapundit)
