Popular weight-loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy may slow biological aging
A clinical trial published in Nature Communications indicates that the weight-loss drug semaglutide may help slow biological aging markers in adults living with HIV. Researchers observed that participants using the medication showed improvements in epigenetic clocks compared to those on a placebo.
Why it matters
This discovery suggests that GLP-1 medications could have broader therapeutic applications beyond weight management and diabetes, potentially impacting longevity research.
The growing popularity of GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus has largely been driven by their ability to help people lose weight, improve blood sugar control, and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Now, researchers have uncovered another possible benefit. A new clinical trial suggests that semaglutide, the active ingredient in those medications, may also help slow some of the biological processes associated with aging.
Published in Nature Communications , the study provides the first randomized, placebo-controlled evidence in humans that semaglutide may slow the buildup of DNA markers linked to biological aging in adults living with HIV.
Semaglutide Slowed Biological Aging Markers
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