Canagliflozin for Health & Longevity - Quick Reference Sheet

Canagliflozin for Health & Longevity

Created on 09/09/2026 – Quick Reference based on Evidence Review created using AI4L / Opus 5 Audit

A prescription medicine that makes the kidneys flush sugar into the urine, lowering blood sugar, weight, blood pressure and uric acid, and protecting the kidneys and heart in people with diabetes and kidney or heart disease. Genital fungal infections are common; dangerous acid buildup can occur at normal blood sugar. The longevity case rests almost entirely on mice. (Full Review)

Protocol

Longevity-oriented daily regimen
100 mg daily
The approach most commonly used off-label, on the reasoning that the mouse lifespan data came from continuous exposure. AgelessRx, a longevity telehealth clinic, popularised this protocol.
Longevity-oriented pulsed regimen
150 mg every other day
An alternative AgelessRx protocol, intended to blunt post-meal glucose peaks while reducing cumulative genital-infection and diuresis exposure.
Best time of day
Before the first meal
Aligns peak drug levels with the day's largest glucose excursions and puts the diuretic effect in daylight hours, limiting night-time urination.
Time to effect
Kidney and heart outcomes
Years
Over years of continuous use.
Weight
8–12 weeks
Steady loss that plateaus as appetite partially compensates.
Blood pressure and urate
Days to 2 weeks
Shifts within days to two weeks, while glucose excretion itself begins with the first dose.

Benefits

Contraindications
  • Type 1 diabetes, or any insulin-deficient diabetes
  • eGFR below 30 mL/min/1.73 m² for glucose-lowering purposes; dialysis or end-stage kidney disease outright
  • Prior lower-limb amputation, active foot ulceration, or peripheral artery disease with critical limb ischaemia
  • Recurrent genital fungal infection, recurrent urinary tract infection, or prior Fournier gangrene
  • Pregnancy in the second and third trimesters, and breastfeeding
  • Severe liver impairment (Child-Pugh Class C)
  • Within 3 days of planned surgery or any procedure requiring fasting, until eating normally again
Key Interactions
  • Insulin and sulfonylureas (glimepiride, glipizide, glyburide)
  • Loop and thiazide diuretics (furosemide, hydrochlorothiazide)
  • UGT enzyme inducers (rifampicin, phenytoin, phenobarbital, ritonavir)
  • Digoxin and other P-glycoprotein substrates
  • Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac)
  • Potassium-sparing agents and renin-angiotensin blockers (spironolactone, lisinopril, losartan)
  • Alcohol
  • Supplements with additive effects (berberine, chromium picolinate, alpha-lipoic acid, high-dose cinnamon, hibiscus, beetroot nitrate, magnesium)
  • Ketogenic diets, extended fasting and exogenous ketones

Risk & Side Effects

  • High: Genital fungal infections; lower-limb amputation; diabetic ketoacidosis; volume depletion and osmotic diuresis; bone loss and fracture; rise in LDL cholesterol; low blood sugar in combination therapy
  • Medium: Loss of lean body mass; concentrated blood
  • Low: Fournier gangrene; urinary tract infection; acute kidney injury; hypersensitivity reactions
  • Speculative: Impaired wound healing; increased intestinal tumour burden

Monitoring

Marker Target Why
eGFR Above 60 mL/min/1.73 m² Governs both efficacy and eligibility
Serum creatinine 0.6–1.1 mg/dL (women), 0.7–1.3 mg/dL (men) Detects volume depletion and acute kidney injury
Urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio Below 10 mg/g Tracks the kidney benefit directly
Serum potassium 4.0–4.5 mmol/L Detects hyperkalaemia when combined with renin-angiotensin blockers
HbA1c 4.8–5.4% Confirms glucose effect and flags over-treatment
Serum uric acid 3.5–5.5 mg/dL Captures one of the more transferable benefits
LDL cholesterol Below 70 mg/dL for those pursuing maximal risk reduction Detects the expected upward drift
Haematocrit 40–48% (men), 36–44% (women) Detects excessive blood concentration
Beta-hydroxybutyrate Below 0.6 mmol/L Early warning for euglycaemic ketoacidosis
Serum magnesium and phosphate Magnesium 2.0–2.6 mg/dL, phosphate 3.0–4.0 mg/dL Both rise on this drug and relate to bone turnover
Bone mineral density T-score above -1.0 Detects the hip bone loss seen over two years
Body composition No established target on this drug; track change from the individual's own baseline lean mass Distinguishes fat loss from muscle loss

Cadence: Baseline panel before starting; kidney function, electrolytes and standing blood pressure at 2 and 4 weeks; 3 months with lipids and haematocrit; every 6 months once stable. Bone density repeated at 2 years in anyone with reduced baseline bone density. Feet checked daily, and formally at each review.

Qualitative Assessment

  • Genital itching, discharge or soreness, which signals fungal infection at a treatable stage
  • Dizziness or transient visual dimming on standing, indicating volume depletion before creatinine moves
  • Night-time urination frequency and its effect on sleep quality
  • Unexplained nausea, abdominal pain, rapid breathing or fruity breath, the presentation of ketoacidosis at normal blood sugar
  • Any new foot blister, ulcer, redness or numbness
  • Energy levels, exercise capacity and grip strength as a practical proxy for preserved muscle