Researchers are now asking whether Ozempic and similar GLP-1 drugs could do more than curb weight and blood sugar. In one of the first studies to test the idea, people with HIV who took semaglutide for eight months showed signs of slower biological aging based on blood biomarkers.
That finding matters because Ozempic and Zepbound are already changing how doctors treat obesity and diabetes, and the question now is whether the same drugs might also affect the aging process itself. GLP-1 medications are known to improve metabolic health, lower blood sugar, promote weight loss and reduce the risk of diseases such as heart disease and diabetes, which is why researchers are looking at whether their effects reach beyond those immediate benefits.
Michael Corley, who led the study at the University of California, San Diego's Stein Institute for Research on Aging, said, “The trial provided us an opportunity to say, hey, is there any signal here that warrants all the hype?” The answer, so far, is only a signal. The study did not prove that semaglutide slows aging in a way that would translate into longer life, and it did not establish that the effect would hold outside the group it studied.
That caution is where the story turns. Nicolas Musi said it is reasonable to think GLP-1 drugs could eventually improve longevity because they reduce diseases linked to aging, and researchers also suspect the drugs may ease chronic inflammation, a process tied to faster aging and age-related disease. But scientists still say there is little evidence that GLP-1 drugs extend lifespan in otherwise healthy people, and they are also worried about side effects that could matter more with age, including muscle loss and lower bone density.
Musi does not recommend taking GLP-1 drugs off-label solely to live longer, because there is not enough evidence to support that use. Several clinical trials are now underway to measure whether these medications affect biological aging, inflammation, strength and mobility, but results are still years away. For now, the proven basics for longevity remain the unglamorous ones: exercise, strength training, healthy weight management and control of blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol.
