Could common pills help you live longer?
Association between prescription drugs and all‐cause mortality risk in the UK population
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Scientists looked at what medicines people took and who lived longer over 13 years. Some pills, like those for erectile dysfunction or cholesterol, were linked to people living longer—even if they weren’t taking them for heart disease.
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
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Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
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Evidence Score
Groups of people are followed over time to see who develops an outcome. Strong for identifying risk factors and associations, but cannot prove causation as firmly as RCTs.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Scientists looked at what medicines people took and who lived longer over 13 years. Some pills, like those for erectile dysfunction or cholesterol, were linked to people living longer—even if they weren’t taking them for heart disease.
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 566 / 72
Evidence Score
Groups of people are followed over time to see who develops an outcome. Strong for identifying risk factors and associations, but cannot prove causation as firmly as RCTs.
Publication
Authors
Morin J, Rolland Y, Bischoff-Ferrari HA, Ocampo A, Perez K
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Claims (5)
In the UK, people between 40 and 70 who take statins tend to live a little longer than those who don’t — but only atorvastatin seems to make the difference; other statins don’t show the same benefit.
People in the UK between 40 and 70 who were prescribed sildenafil (like Viagra) were 15% less likely to die from any cause over time compared to similar people who weren’t prescribed it—even when accounting for things like age, smoking, or diabetes—so scientists think it might help people live longer.
People in the UK between 40 and 70 who were prescribed naproxen (a painkiller) were 10% less likely to die from any cause during the study, especially men, even when accounting for things like smoking or diabetes.
Women in the UK between 40 and 70 who are prescribed estrogen-based medications like patches or vaginal tablets seem to live longer than those who aren’t, even when you account for things like smoking or diabetes.
For people in the UK between 40 and 70 years old, taking atorvastatin (a cholesterol drug) is linked to a slightly lower risk of dying from any cause — but only up to a 20mg dose. Taking more, like 80mg, might actually increase the risk instead.