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GLP-1 agonist medications like Ozempic and Wegovy are designed to support weight loss and blood sugar management, but a growing body of research suggests they may have other benefits, such as reduced risk of heart disease and sleep apnea. Now, there\u2019s one more perk to add to the list: These medications may help people live longer.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s the major takeaway from new research published in the journal Nature Communications<\/a>. The study is the first randomized, placebo-controlled trial in humans to suggest that semaglutide\u2014the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy\u2014may slow the buildup of DNA markers linked to biological aging in adults.<\/p>\n The clinical trial enrolled 108 adults with HIV and lipohypertrophy, a condition where excess fat builds up around the abdomen. (People with HIV tend to experience an accelerated aging process, even when their condition is controlled by antiviral medication.) About half of the participants were given weekly injections of semaglutide, while the rest took a placebo.<\/p>\n The researchers used a set of biological epigenetic clocks\u2014models that estimate a person\u2019s biological age\u2014to track the participants\u2019 cellular aging over the 32-week trial. Among other things, the clocks detected DNA methylation (chemical marks on DNA that help regulate how genes are turned on or off).<\/p>\n Meet the experts<\/strong>: Damian Folch, M.D<\/a>., a family medicine physician affiliated with Lowell General Hospital; Mir Ali, M.D.,<\/a> medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center<\/p>\n The researchers discovered that the participants who took semaglutide had an overall pattern of slower biological aging, as well as slower aging in specific areas, such as the blood, brain, heart, kidney, liver, and overall metabolic measures. All in all, the medication slowed the pace of biological aging by 9%. However, the researchers said that more work is needed to see if GLP-1s could be used as gerotherapeutics, or medications designed to slow aging.<\/p>\n The findings raise a lot of questions about how GLP-1s may be used as a longevity drug\u2014and what\u2019s behind this effect in the first place. Here\u2019s what doctors want you to know.<\/p>\n Why might semaglutide slow biological aging?<\/strong><\/p>\n Experts believe there are likely a few factors at play. \u201cThe most important effect is in reducing inflammation,\u201d says Damian Folch, M.D<\/a>., a family medicine physician affiliated with Lowell General Hospital. \u201cWe know that fat cells are inflammatory, so reducing fat in your body\u2014especially visceral fat, or deep belly fat\u2014has a big impact on overall inflammation.\u201d<\/p>\n Mir Ali, M.D.,<\/a> medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center, agrees. \u201cBeing overweight creates a chronic inflammatory state in the body,\u201d he says. Chronic inflammation is linked<\/a> to a slew of serious diseases that can accelerate aging and reduce lifespan, including heart disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes. Theoretically, reducing that chronic inflammation should slow biological aging, he says.<\/p>\n Losing weight also encourages people to move more, which has its own benefits for longevity. \u201cPeople become more active [and] they seem to be happier,\u201d Dr. Folch says. \u201cBoth exercise and mental health are important in the aging process.\u201d<\/p>\n In addition, GLP-1s help people maintain steadier blood sugar levels, which may also help reduce inflammation, Dr. Folch says. \u201cIt is also believed that it affects epigenetics\u2014the genes that are up- or down-regulated based on environmental factors\u2014in favor of less inflammation,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n Still, \u201cit\u2019s hard to say if it\u2019s the weight loss or the medication that\u2019s causing the decrease in inflammation,\u201d Dr. Ali says.<\/p>\n