Abstract 18270: Acarbose Attenuates Age-Associated Declines in Motor and Cardiac Function

Background: Age is a primary risk factor for chronic conditions including cardiovascular diseases. With inflation in the aged population over the last century, there is a growing need for interventions that directly target aging. Acarbose, an alpha-glucosidase inhibitor, is a promising aging intervention that increases lifespan in male and female mice by 22% and 5%, respectively. Acarbose is an FDA approved anti-diabetic drug with a limited side effect profile. We hypothesized that, in addition to lengthening lifespan, Acarbose would also diminish the effects of aging on motor and cardiac function. Methods and Results: Outbred male and female F1 mice that were a cross of 4 strains were treated with Acarbose (ACA, 1000 ppm) or a control diet from 8 months to 22 months of age. Both groups of aged 22 month old mice were compared to 4 month control mice in motor performance and echocardiography. Grip strength, a strong predictor of all cause and cardiovascular mortality in humans, was reduced with age (0.511 ...