Popular Weight-Loss Drug Found To Slow Biological Aging in Landmark Human Trial

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Health<br>Popular Weight-Loss Drug Found To Slow Biological Aging in Landmark Human Trial<br>By University of California - San DiegoJune 3, 20261 Comment6 Mins Read

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Researchers found that semaglutide altered several biological aging markers in adults with HIV, adding to growing evidence that GLP-1 drugs may affect pathways involved in aging as well as metabolic health. Credit: ShutterstockA widely prescribed class of weight-loss and diabetes medications may be doing more than improving metabolic health.<br>Drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy have transformed the treatment of obesity and type 2 diabetes, helping millions lose weight and improve metabolic health. But scientists are increasingly uncovering effects that extend far beyond the scale. Research has linked GLP-1 medications to lower risks of cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, and even some neurodegenerative disorders. Now, a new clinical study suggests they may also influence one of medicine&rsquo;s most intriguing frontiers: the biological processes that drive aging.<br>In a randomized, placebo-controlled trial, researchers found that semaglutide appeared to slow changes in DNA markers associated with biological aging in adults living with HIV. The study, published in Nature Communications, provides some of the strongest human evidence to date that a GLP-1 drug may affect molecular pathways tied to aging itself.<br>Looking Beyond Weight Loss<br>The study involved 108 adults with HIV-associated lipohypertrophy, a condition characterized by abnormal fat accumulation around the abdomen. Participants received either weekly semaglutide injections or placebo injections for 32 weeks.<br>Rather than focusing on traditional measures such as weight or blood sugar, the researchers examined biological age. To do this, they used a group of tools known as epigenetic clocks, which estimate how quickly the body is aging by analyzing DNA methylation patterns. These chemical modifications help regulate gene activity and can reveal age-related changes long before disease develops.<br>Epigenetic clocks have attracted growing interest because they often predict future health outcomes better than chronological age. Studies suggest that people whose biological age exceeds their actual age face a higher risk of disease and early death.<br>Signals of Slower Aging<br>People living with HIV frequently experience accelerated biological aging, even when the virus is well controlled with modern antiretroviral therapy. Researchers believe chronic inflammation and persistent immune system activation play important roles.<br>Michael Corley, PhD, associate professor of medicine in the Division of Geriatrics, Gerontology & Palliative Care at UC San Diego School of Medicine and the Stein Institute for Research on Aging. Credit: UC San Diego Health SciencesAccording to lead author Michael Corley, PhD, associate professor at UC San Diego School of Medicine and the Stein Institute for Research on Aging, semaglutide appeared to counter some of those effects.<br>Compared with participants who received a placebo, those treated with semaglutide showed slower aging patterns across multiple epigenetic clocks associated with inflammation and the health of several major organ systems, including the heart, brain, kidneys, liver, blood, and metabolic system.<br>Among the study&rsquo;s most notable findings:<br>The pace of biological aging slowed by 9% according to the DunedinPACE epigenetic clock.<br>Biological processes linked to age-related disease and all-cause mortality risk were significantly reduced based on measurements from the PCGrimAge clock.<br>While the study was not designed to determine exactly how semaglutide produces these effects, researchers point to several possible mechanisms.<br>Researchers believe semaglutide may influence aging through several pathways. By reducing inflammation and metabolic stress, GLP-1 drugs may lower chronic immune activation, a major contributor to accelerated aging in people with HIV. The medications also reduce visceral and ectopic fat around the abdomen and internal organs, which may help decrease inflammatory and metabolic signals linked to aging.<br>&ldquo;Emerging data also suggest that GLP-1 drugs may reprogram certain cells in different organs, which could help explain why we see effects across multiple aging clocks,&rdquo; said Corley.<br>Potential Relevance Beyond HIV<br>Although the study focused on people with HIV-associated lipohypertrophy, Corley believes the findings could have broader relevance.<br>&ldquo;Many of the biological processes we study in HIV are also central to aging in the general population,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Because these processes can emerge earlier or be more pronounced in...