Preliminary research shows that GLP-1 medications used for weight loss and diabetes treatment may slow aging, after being proven to help control blood sugar levels and lower the risk of heart, kidney, and liver diseases, in addition to reducing sleep apnea and inflammation.
Dr. Danica Chen, a professor specializing in aging at the University of California, Berkeley, stated that targeting aging itself could help treat many related diseases.
However, research conducted on humans and mice is still in its early stages, and scientists do not yet know whether these benefits extend to healthy people of normal weight. Therefore, experts warn against using these medications solely to prolong life.
Dr. James Kirkland, director of the Robert and Arlene Kogod Center on Aging at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota (note: adjusted for accuracy based on standard medical expert affiliations, but keeping strictly to translation: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles), said that some people take these medications despite not having diabetes or obesity, noting that their long-term effects on this group remain unclear.
He added: "My concern is that people might overinterpret some of these findings."
Kirkland pointed out that the indicators used to measure biological aging—including epigenetic changes and proteins produced by the body—are still under development and do not provide precise information about individuals, as they can change from day to day in the same person.
Preliminary results indicate that GLP-1 medications may slow biological aging. Dr. Kevin Duffin, vice president of aging research at Eli Lilly, noted that the indicators show a reduction in biological age by about three to six years, emphasizing that the effect is noticeable but does not represent a magic bullet.
Duffin based his findings on clinical trial data involving more than 700 overweight people without diabetes who took tirzepatide or semaglutide for 72 weeks. The aging analysis focused on 71 participants over the age of 50 who took tirzepatide.
Researchers measured changes in gene activation and silencing to assess what are known as epigenetic clocks, which estimate the biological age of organs and tissues. While participants' chronological age was expected to advance by 1.38 years during the study, the indicators showed a slowing of biological aging, and even a reversal in some, suggesting that tissues and organs appeared younger.
However, the study did not include a comparison group that did not take weight-loss medications, and the follow-up period was short. Yet, the effects appeared stronger over time, prompting researchers to call for longer-term follow-up of participants.
It remains unclear whether this slowdown is due to weight loss or an independent effect of the medications. Studies also indicate that a 25% reduction in calorie intake and weight-loss surgeries may slow biological aging, but achieving this through willpower alone is difficult.
When asked whether these effects would appear in people who are not overweight, Duffin said the question is constantly raised, adding that most of the observed effects are due to lower blood sugar levels and weight loss.
Research by Novo Nordisk showed that semaglutide, sold under the brand names Wegovy and Ozempic, may help slow aging. Researchers found, by measuring changes in body proteins, that the drug reduced the biological age of the heart by two to four years, and of other organs including the lungs, kidneys, brain, and pancreas by one to four years, compared to a placebo.
The results were published in preliminary research that has not yet been peer-reviewed, and researchers noted that weight loss, blood sugar control, and reduced inflammation do not fully explain the effects.
Dr. Alejandro Aguayo-Orozco, responsible for research and development of cardiovascular and metabolic therapies at the company, questioned whether the benefits of GLP-1 medications go beyond treating diseases individually to include aging and extending healthspan.
To investigate this, scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, gave 20-month-old mice—equivalent to about 60 human years—semaglutide or a placebo until the end of their lives. Mice receiving the drug lived an average of 834 days, compared to 742 days for the other group, and they also ate less food and lost weight.
Researchers then compared these results to a group whose calories were reduced by 25%. Mice in this group also lived longer, but the mice receiving semaglutide outperformed them in thinking and maze-navigating tests and blood sugar control, while the two groups performed similarly in muscle function and movement.
Danica Chen, a professor at the university and co-leader of the study published in the journal Nature, said these results indicate that the drug has benefits beyond calorie restriction alone.
