Caloric Restriction Mimetics against Age-Associated Disease: Targets, Mechanisms, and Therapeutic Potential.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review and mechanistic theory with no original clinical trial data or systematic review methodology.
PubMed 30840912 · doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2019.01.018
What was done
The authors reviewed current literature concerning caloric restriction mimetics (CRMs), defining them as agents that activate protective pathways of caloric restriction by inducing autophagy via reduced protein acetylation. The review summarizes molecular, cellular, and organismal findings in mice and humans.
What was found
No quantitative findings, sample sizes, or effect estimates are reported in the abstract. The authors state that caloric restriction reliably extends healthspan in mammals and present CRMs as candidate pharmacological agents against cardiovascular, neurodegenerative, and malignant age-related diseases.
Why it matters
It outlines a mechanistic framework for using pharmacological compounds to replicate the healthspan benefits of dietary caloric restriction without requiring lifelong adherence to strict diets.
Limits
As a narrative review, it presents no primary clinical data, quantitative effect sizes, or systematic search methodology. Most evidence discussed relies on animal models and mechanistic reasoning rather than established clinical trial outcomes in humans.
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