⏳ Ozempic May Slow Biological Aging
Semaglutide, the active ingredient in the weight-loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy, may affect more than just weight and blood sugar levels. Scientists have found that it could also influence biological aging processes.
The study included 108 adults living with HIV who had excess abdominal fat. Half received semaglutide, while the other half received a placebo. Researchers analyzed blood samples from 84 participants to assess aging-related markers. Treatment lasted 32 weeks.
🔄 The researchers examined chemical markers on DNA that change with age. Among those taking semaglutide, the DunedinPACE biomarker, which measures the rate at which age-related changes accumulate, was about 9% lower than in the placebo group. Several other "epigenetic clocks" also suggested slower processes associated with inflammation and aging of the heart and brain.
❗️ This does not mean participants became 9% younger or will live 9% longer. However, it is the first controlled clinical signal that GLP-1 medications may affect biological mechanisms of aging.
Still, because this analysis was not the study's original primary goal, and the sample was small and included only people living with HIV, the findings cannot yet be generalized to healthy people.
"We are not saying that semaglutide reverses aging or makes people younger," emphasizes study author Michael Corley.
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