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Study suggests GLP-1 drugs may slow the aging process

The treatment appeared to influence multiple aging-related pathways

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Mark Huffman
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Mark Huffman has covered consumer issues since 2004, with a special focus on protecting and empowering older adults. A former news correspondent for the Associated Press Radio Network, Westwood One, and ConsumerAffairs, Mark brings decades of journalistic experience to RetirementLiving.com. He is passionate about giving consumers a voice and helping them make informed decisions. Mark has also created educational content, including Senior Scam Alert, a video resource designed to help seniors recognize and avoid fraud. He holds a B.A. from the University of Kentucky and lives with his family in Richmond, Virginia.

Updated:

key insights:

  • Researchers say semaglutide slowed the buildup of biological aging markers in a randomized clinical trial involving adults with HIV.
  • The study is the first placebo-controlled human trial to show a GLP-1 drug may influence DNA-based measures of aging.
  • Scientists caution that larger studies are needed before GLP-1 medications can be considered anti-aging therapies.

Research continues to show that GLP-1 drugs may have additional health benefits. These drugs are already widely used to treat obesity and type 2 diabetes. Now, scientists think they may also slow the biological processes associated with aging.

Researchers at the University of California San Diego and collaborating institutions report that semaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist sold under brand names such as Ozempic and Wegovy, reduced the accumulation of biological aging markers in adults living with HIV. The findings were published in Nature Communications. 

The study analyzed data from a previously conducted clinical trial involving 108 adults with HIV-associated lipohypertrophy, a condition characterized by abnormal fat accumulation around the abdomen.

The study

Participants were randomly assigned to receive either weekly semaglutide injections or a placebo over 32 weeks. Researchers then measured biological aging using several DNA-based “epigenetic clocks,” which estimate aging at the cellular level. 

According to the researchers, participants who received semaglutide experienced a slower rate of biological aging compared with those in the placebo group. The treatment appeared to influence multiple aging-related pathways, including inflammation and metabolic function, both of which are believed to play important roles in age-related disease development. 

GLP-1 drugs have attracted global attention in recent years because of their effectiveness in promoting weight loss, controlling blood sugar levels, and reducing cardiovascular risk.

Why these drugs may be effective

Scientists have increasingly speculated that the medications could affect broader aging mechanisms, but evidence from human clinical trials has been limited. 

The new findings provide some of the strongest evidence to date supporting that theory. Researchers found that semaglutide’s effects on aging markers may be linked to reductions in visceral fat, lower levels of chronic immune activation, and changes in cellular programming associated with inflammation. 

While the results are promising, investigators emphasized that the study focused on a specific population — adults with HIV — and was not designed to determine whether semaglutide extends lifespan or prevents age-related diseases in the general population. Larger studies involving more diverse groups will be needed to confirm the findings and determine whether the effects translate into meaningful long-term health benefits.