The results of off-label rapamycin use in 333 adults

What's the news: Off-label rapamycin use has several positive health effects with few negative side-effects.

Why should we believe it: This news is based on a study published earlier this week by scientists at the University of Washington and Columbia University.

This study was not a randomized and controlled study. Rather, the scientists collected data from 505 volunteers online. Among those, 172 were not taking rapamycin in any form. 333 were taking rapamycin, off label, specifically for longevity purposes.

And the results were:

1. Positive effects of rapamycin: "Ratios of greater than 3:1 in agreement were observed for self-reported improvements in health, happiness, brain function, feelings of youthfulness, confidence, calmness, anxiety, and generalized aches and pains."

2. It's not just in their heads: "Interestingly, greater than fivefold more rapamycin users agreed with the comment that 'family/friends have commented that I look good' than disagreed, suggesting that these perceived self-benefits may also be apparent to others."

3. Limited side-effects: "The only condition that was significantly more common in rapamycin users was presence of mouth ulcers (canker sores), a known common side effect of rapamycin usage."

But isn't this just selection bias? Whenever there's a voluntary survey like the one in this study, the type of person who responds might entirely skew the results.

According to the authors of this study, both rapamycin users and non-users who responded report higher rates of exercise and healthy dietary habits, lower body mass index, and lower rates of alcohol consumption and tobacco use, relative to the general population.

In other words, while the survey respondents are not typical of the overall population, there was no significant prior differences between those taking rapamycin and those not taking it.

It's not clear whether the effects of rapamycin would be the same in a population that doesn't take good care of its health. But among people who already are health-conscious, rapamyicin does seem to make a positive impact.

Why this is a big deal: As I wrote last week in Long Youthspan, rapamycin is the most powerful longevity drug currently available to humans.

But while there's a lot of of circumstantial evidence to suport rapamaycin use for longevity, we still don't have hard scientific data exactly on this issue. This survey, limited though it is, gives us valuable extra information while we wait for further studies.

So what specifically can you do now: If the details above were convincing enough to make you want to try rapamycin, talk to your doctor about getting it off label. And if you’re not convinced yet, then simply sit tight – a 3-year randomized controlled study on the effects of rapamycin in humans is underway right now, and is expected to complete later this year.