Bryan Johnson’s Prescription Drugs

In addition to a long list of supplements Bryan Johnson takes every day, he also relies on some prescribed drugs to support his longevity.

In this article, we are going to discuss the prescription drugs he currently uses:

Acarbose
Metformin
Rapamycin
17-alpha estradiol

Before diving deeper into the world of prescription drugs Bryan Jonhson takes, it’s important to mention that he doesn’t recommend using them without medical supervision.

Table of Contents

Acarbose

Bryan takes 200 mg of acarbose after waking up and another 200 mg after his 11 AM meal.

According to Blueprint’s Monthly Notes, acarbose is part of Bryan’s routine glucose optimization protocol, along with metformin, turmeric, garlic, ginger, cinnamon, zinc, Vitamin D3, DHEA, and a low glycemic index diet.

Acarbose is a widely available, low-cost, FDA-approved medication used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus in adults.

It inhibits the pancreatic alpha-amylase, an enzyme that breaks down complex carbohydrates in the small intestine.¹ As a result, acarbose slows down the digestion of carbohydrates and glucose absorption.

Image: The different mechanisms of acarbose and metformin on glucose levels (source)

Acarbose’s ability to block peak glucose levels makes it a potential longevity supplement, which could be another reason why Bryan takes it.

Acarbose has become interesting to the Interventions Testing Program (ITP), which is a program specifically designed to test compounds with potential longevity benefits.

According to the ITP study from 2013, supplementing with acarbose increased the median lifespan by 22% in males and 5% in females. It also increased maximum lifespan by 11% in male and 9% in female mice. These improvements were observed when mice were given acarbose from a young age.

In a 2016 ITP study, researchers wanted to determine the effects on lifespan if they start feeding mice in middle age. This protocol is more realistic because we expect people to start taking longevity drugs later in life.

The results showed a 6% increase in median lifespan and a 12% increase in maximum lifespan for male mice. Consistent with previous research, the effects were not as strong in female mice (2% median and 6% maximum lifespan increase).

A 2019 ITP study came to similar conclusions, as supplementation with acarbose from young adult age increased the median lifespan in mice by 16-17%, depending on the dosage. The maximum lifespan increased by 8-11%.

Interestingly, a 2022 ITP study examined the effects of multiple compounds on longevity, including the combined effects of acarbose and rapamycin (another prescription supplement Bryan takes).

When mice were given a combination of acarbose and rapamycin, it resulted in a 34% median lifespan increase in males and a 28% increase in female lifespan.

The benefits were lower when the supplementation started from middle age, extending the median lifespan by 13% in both male and female mice.

These significant effects could be another reason why Bryan takes both of these drugs.

Metformin

Bryan takes 1,500 mg of metformin after waking up and another 500 mg after his 11 AM meal. He uses the extended-release form.

According to Blueprint’s Monthly Notes, he uses metformin for blood glucose regulation.

Metformin is an antidiabetic agent approved by the FDA for treating type 2 diabetes. That’s because metformin lowers intestinal glucose absorption, reduces glucose production in the liver, and improves insulin sensitivity.²

This compound can regulate glucose levels by activating AMPK enzymes, responsible for glucose and fatty acid uptake. Here’s the mechanism:

Metformin is also of interest in anti-aging research because of its potential to increase autophagy, improve mitochondrial function, protect against macromolecular damage, regulate transcription, delay stem cell aging, and reduce telomere attrition.³

Metformin appears to inhibit the mTOR signaling pathways, which have been known to increase lifespan.⁴ In ex vivo experiments, metformin significantly reduced inflammation linked to aging.⁵

According to a 2017 meta-analysis, people with diabetes taking metformin had a lower all-cause mortality compared to non-diabetics and people taking other therapies to manage this condition. In addition, metformin users experienced a lower cancer incidence than non-diabetics and a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease compared to people taking other diabetic therapies.

Metformin has shown longevity benefits in animal model studies, and it’s currently being investigated for its potential lifespan-expanding effects in healthy humans.

Image: Past, current, and future of metformin’s longevity research (source)

Interestingly, a 2016 ITP study didn’t find statistically significant effects of metformin on the lifespan expectancy of mice. But, metformin and rapamycin supplemented together resulted in a 23% median lifespan increase in male and female mice. That could be another reason why Bryan incorporates both of these drugs into his routine.

Rapamycin

Bryan takes 13 mg of rapamycin every two weeks. He reports consuming it with some fat, like olive oil (source).

According to Blueprint’s Monthly Notes, rapamycin is used to prevent organ transplant rejection and has potential longevity benefits. That’s likely why Bryan has decided to include it in his supplement regimen.

Bryan also mentions measuring rapamycin blood levels in several intervals to ensure safety and adjust the dose for efficacy. These measurements have allowed him to increase the amount from the previous 6 mg to the current 13 mg bi-weekly dosage.

It’s important to mention that using rapamycin for longevity doesn’t have the FDA’s backing, but several studies have investigated the potential of this compound to extend lifespan in animal models. In fact, rapamycin has consistently demonstrated lifespan extension benefits in ITP studies.

Rapamycin inhibits the mTOR signaling pathway. This has been shown to increase lifespan in an evolutionarily diverse group of organisms, inducing positive effects from yeasts to rodents. Since mTOR is also involved in many age-related diseases, regulating this signaling pathway is of great interest to our healthspan and lifespan.⁶

Studies in mice have shown that using rapamycin in mice could extend their life expectancy by 20% to 60%.⁷ The lifespan extension benefits depended on sex, age, and dosage.

There is an ongoing study of rapamycin’s effects on healthy aging and longevity in marmoset monkeys. This research could bring significant insights into the potential of using rapamycin to extend human lifespan.

17-Alpha Estradiol

Bryan uses 8 mg of 17-alpha estradiol every week. According to the Blueprint’s Monthly Notes, he started using this non-feminizing estradiol in August 2022 based on male mice longevity evidence.

When he first started 17-alpha estradiol, the dose was 4 mg transdermal. There have been no effects on serum testosterone or estrogen levels or observable side effects.

In a 2016 ITP study, adding 17-alpha estradiol to the diet of young mice extended their median lifespan by 19%. No such benefits were observed in female mice.

It’s encouraging that even starting to administer 17-alpha estradiol to older mice still has observable benefits on longevity. In a 2021 ITP study, this estradiol extended the median lifespan in male mice by 19% when started at the equivalent of 50 years in human age and 11% at a 60-year equivalent.

Although these results are promising, we are yet to see how 17-alpha estradiol performs in human trials.

Prescription Drugs Bryan Has Stopped Taking

Bryan was previously taking:

Human Growth Hormone (hGH)
Testosterone (via patches)

He discontinued taking hGH in May 2023 due to side effects (source). Specifically, he found that it was increasing intracranial pressure.

Then in December 2023, he discontinued taking the 4mg Androderm testosterone patches.

During his appearance on The Diary Of A CEO podcast (see 1:24:12), Bryan explained that he was supplementing with a testosterone patch due to his caloric restriction diet.

When you are in a caloric deficit, your testosterone levels naturally go down, and Bryan wanted to offset that.

However, recently he has stated that he decreased his caloric deficit (from 25% to 10%), and he has no signs of low testosterone. Therefore he’s stopping the patches and will re-measure to see the effect.

Then lastly, he also takes levothyroxine a standard medication to treat hypothyroidism. This is something particular to Bryan, who was diagnosed with hypothyroidism at the age of 21.

Why Does Bryan Johnson Take Prescription Drugs?

Bryan Johnson incorporates prescription drugs into his daily routine for blood glucose regulation and potential longevity benefits.

The prescription drugs he currently uses (acarbose, metformin, rapamycin, and 17-alpha estradiol) are carefully selected based on current scientific evidence, their individual properties, and contributions to his overall health and longevity strategy.

Bryan and his team closely monitor many biomarkers and health parameters to confirm the importance of each supplement on the list.

Are you interested to learn more about Bryan Johnson and his Blueprint protocol? Read a full list of supplements Bryan Johnson takes every day.