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Health

These four common medicines could help prolong your life

Taking Viagra, HRT, a statin or a painkiller was linked to a slightly lower chance of people dying over a 12-year study, suggesting the drugs may have life-extending properties

By Clare Wilson

21 March 2024

Hormone replacement therapy can help with menopause symptoms – and possibly extends lifespan

BSIP/UIG Via Getty Images

Four widely used medicines have emerged as possible life-extending drugs, after an analysis of UK health records found they were each linked with slightly lower chances of dying during a 12-year study.

The medicines are Viagra, for erectile dysfunction; atorvastatin, used to lower cholesterol levels; an anti-inflammatory and pain-killing drug called naproxen; and oestrogen, a component of hormone-replacement therapy (HRT).

The idea that existing prescription medicines could have life-extending effects on top of their known benefits for certain…

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