The diabetes drug Ozempic is already famous for its impact on weight loss, but new research suggests it could also play a surprising role in slowing down – and even reversing – the ageing process.
Ozempic, alongside its sister drug Wegovy, contains the compound semaglutide.
These GLP-1 drugs were first designed to treat type 2 diabetes, but their reputation skyrocketed thanks to their ability to help people shed significant amounts of weight.
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Now, scientists believe their benefits could stretch far beyond slimming down, potentially offering a way to turn back the biological clock, as reported by NewScientist and in an earlier study reported by the BBC.
For years, researchers have hinted that semaglutide might slow cellular aging based on animal experiments and observational studies in humans.
But a recent clinical trial is the first to show direct evidence of this effect.
Varun Dwaraka, from the diagnostics company TruDiagnostic in Kentucky, says the findings mark a turning point in the conversation around these drugs.
The study looked at 108 people with HIV-associated lipohypertrophy, a condition that causes excess fat build-up and accelerates cellular ageing.
Half of the participants were given a weekly dose of Ozempic for 32 weeks, while the other half received a placebo.
By analysing blood samples before and after the trial, researchers were able to assess changes in participants’ biological age using epigenetic clocks — a measure based on chemical tags on DNA that reveal how fast a person is ageing.
The results were striking. In particular, Dwaraka said: “Those on semaglutide became, on average, 3.1 years biologically younger by the end of the study,”. The placebo group, on the other hand, showed no significant change. The researchers also discovered that semaglutide appeared to slow ageing in several organs and systems, particularly in the inflammatory system and brain, where biological ageing was delayed by almost five years.
Dwaraka believes these effects stem from semaglutide’s ability to improve fat distribution and overall metabolic health. Excess fat around organs is known to trigger the release of pro-ageing molecules, which can alter DNA and speed up cellular decline.
By reducing this fat and dampening low-grade inflammation, Ozempic seems to create a more youthful biological environment.
Although this study focused on people with HIV-associated lipohypertrophy, many of the biological pathways affected by semaglutide aren’t unique to this condition. Dwaraka explained: “Therefore, it is plausible that similar effects on epigenetic ageing could be observed in other populations”.
Randy Seeley, from the University of Michigan Medical School, isn’t surprised by the results. He believes much of the benefit comes from the drug’s ability to take stress off cells and lower inflammation, both of which drive ageing. He said: “Both are major drivers of ageing in many different types of cells”.
However, experts caution against rushing to take Ozempic purely as an anti-ageing treatment. Dwaraka warned: “Prescribing it more broadly as an anti-ageing therapy is premature”. Still, with growing interest in repurposing existing drugs for age-related problems, semaglutide could soon be a major player in the quest to slow down ageing itself.