A new clinical trial suggests semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, may slow biological aging in adults with HIV. The study, published in Nature Communications, found a 9% slower pace of aging on one epigenetic clock. Researchers believe the drug works by reducing inflammation and harmful fat deposits but caution it is not an "anti-aging" drug and that larger trials are needed to confirm the results.
Semaglutide biological aging study
- ▪A new clinical trial suggests that semaglutide may help slow some of the biological processes associated with aging
- ▪The study, published in Nature Communications, involved 108 adults with HIV-associated lipohypertrophy, a condition causing excess abdominal fat
- ▪Semaglutide is the active ingredient in popular GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus
Epigenetic clock measurements
- ▪The PCGrimAge epigenetic clock measured a significant slowing of biological processes linked to age-related disease and all-cause mortality risk
- ▪Participants treated with semaglutide showed a 9% slower pace of biological aging based on the DunedinPACE epigenetic clock compared to placebo
- ▪Researchers used "epigenetic clocks" to estimate biological age by measuring DNA methylation, a pattern of chemical tags on DNA
GLP-1 aging mechanism pathways
- ▪Semaglutide reduces visceral and ectopic fat, which may lower inflammatory signals that contribute to aging throughout the body
- ▪GLP-1 medications may influence aging by reducing inflammation and improving metabolic health, which can decrease chronic immune activation
HIV population implications
- ▪Researchers believe the findings could have broader implications as many aging processes in HIV are also central to aging in the general population
- ▪People living with HIV often experience accelerated biological aging, even when the virus is well controlled with modern antiretroviral therapy
Related fatty liver disease trial
- ▪A related pilot study found semaglutide slowed biological aging in 42% of participants with HIV and fatty liver disease
- ▪In the fatty liver disease study, nearly 49% of participants showed longer telomeres, the protective DNA caps at the ends of chromosomes
Future research directions
- ▪Despite promising findings, researchers emphasize that semaglutide is not an anti-aging drug
- ▪Larger clinical trials are needed to confirm the results, determine how long any benefits last, and identify the most effective treatment schedules
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