Weight-loss and diabetes-management drugs belonging to the GLP-1 class (such as Wegovy, Ozempic, Mounjaro, and Zepbound) appear to slow the body’s aging process. Recent studies suggest that these medications may even extend human lifespan.
Scientists say this conclusion makes sense because, in addition to promoting weight loss and regulating blood sugar, GLP-1 drugs reduce the risk of heart, kidney, and liver disease. They also improve sleep apnea and reduce inflammation — factors that contribute to declining health with age.
Reducing biological age — What clinical studies show
Eli Lilly’s data (tirzepatide): A study conducted by Eli Lilly (SURMOUNT-V), involving more than 700 people with overweight or obesity, has shown promising results. Researchers examined the “epigenetic clocks” — indicators of the biological age of organs and tissues — of 71 patients over the age of 50. Over 72 weeks, the participants would have been expected to age by 1.38 years chronologically. However, the biological age of patients taking tirzepatide changed much more slowly. In some cases, biological aging was reduced by an average of 0.7 to 1.1 years, while in others, tissues functioned as if they were younger than they had been at the start of the study. Overall, the reported age-reduction figures ranged from 3 to 6 years.
Novo Nordisk’s data (semaglutide): A study of semaglutide produced similar findings. According to the researchers, compared with a placebo, the drug:
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Reduced the biological age of the heart by 2–4 years.
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Reduced the biological age of the lungs, kidneys, brain, and pancreas by 1–4 years.
The authors explain that these effects cannot be fully accounted for by weight loss or blood sugar control alone, suggesting that the drug may have broader, systemic anti-aging effects.
Extending lifespan — An experiment in mice
Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley), published the results of an experiment in the journal Nature involving 20-month-old mice, equivalent to approximately 60 years of age in humans. The mice received semaglutide for the remainder of their lives.
The study found that mice treated with semaglutide lived an average of 834 days (equivalent to approximately 80 years in humans), while mice in the placebo group lived only 742 days (equivalent to approximately 75 years in humans).
Interestingly, the researchers also compared these results with a group of mice that received no medication but had their calorie intake reduced by 25%. Although calorie restriction also extended lifespan and improved muscle function, the mice receiving semaglutide demonstrated additional benefits. They showed better blood sugar regulation and better cognitive performance, specifically remembering their way out of a maze much more easily.
Despite these promising findings, experts urge caution. The research is still at an early stage, and it remains unclear whether these drugs would have anti-aging effects in healthy people of normal weight.
Dr. James Kirkland, director of the Center for Gerotherapeutics at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, warns so-called “biohackers” who take these medications solely to extend their lives, without having diabetes or overweight. He says the long-term effects of these drugs on healthy, younger bodies remain insufficiently studied. Furthermore, methods for measuring “epigenetic clocks” are validated primarily for group-level research and do not provide an accurate picture of biological aging in individual people.
