A recent study published in the journal Nature has revealed that semaglutide, the active drug in the weight-loss medication Wegovy, may significantly extend the lifespan and improve the healthspan of aging female mice. The findings suggest potential anti-aging benefits for the drug, which is already used to treat obesity and diabetes in humans.
The research, conducted by scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, involved treating mice that were already considered old (20 months of age). Over the remainder of their lives, mice receiving daily semaglutide injections lived an average of 92 days longer than a control group receiving salt-water injections. This represents a roughly 12% increase in lifespan for the treated mice.
Beyond extending life, the semaglutide treatment also appeared to improve the mice's cognitive and physical functions. After three months of treatment, the mice performed better in memory tests, finding an escape hole in less than half the time of the placebo group. They also demonstrated greater endurance, running for nearly three times as long before becoming exhausted.
Furthermore, the study observed significant changes in the mice's gene activity. Semaglutide treatment reduced the activity of genes associated with inflammation and increased the activity of genes involved in DNA repair and the clearance of damaged proteins. The drug also raised levels of NAD, a compound crucial for cellular energy production and repair that naturally declines with age, and increased the activity of sirtuin genes, often referred to as 'anti-aging genes'.
Researchers explored whether the observed benefits were solely due to weight loss. In a separate experiment, semaglutide treatment and a calorie-restricted diet produced similar weight loss in mice. However, semaglutide yielded superior results in measures of memory and blood-sugar control, suggesting its effects extend beyond mere weight reduction.
Human studies have indicated broader health benefits for semaglutide. A large trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2023 found that semaglutide reduced the risk of cardiovascular events by 20% in overweight or obese individuals with cardiovascular disease, a benefit not fully explained by weight loss alone. Other human trials have shown semaglutide can slow kidney damage in patients with type 2 diabetes and kidney disease.
Additional research published in Nature Communications in May examined DNA methylation, a marker of biological aging. In patients with HIV and excess abdominal fat, semaglutide was found to slow this aging process. While these patients were studied due to ongoing inflammation and accelerated aging often associated with HIV, the findings add to the evidence of semaglutide's potential impact on aging mechanisms.
While the mouse study offers compelling insights, experts caution that direct extrapolation to humans requires further investigation. The dosage equivalence between mice and humans is not precise, and human trials specifically designed to test semaglutide's effects on lifespan and healthspan are still needed. However, given the drug's established safety profile in treating obesity and the emerging evidence of wider health benefits, the potential for semaglutide as an anti-aging intervention warrants serious consideration and further research.