Scientists Might Have Just Discovered a Fourth Factor to Slow Down Aging

3 min readOZEMPIC AND OTHER GLP-1 medications are intended for people who want to lose weight and manage diabetes. But as research mounts, doctors are discovering that this class of medication may have other health benefits. Those benefits range from heart health to curbing addiction to cancer treatment. But the latest findings sound like something out of a science fiction novel.Scientists recently found the first evidence of GLP-1s actually slowing down biological aging. This is aging at a cellular level and a better representation of health than your chronological age. In the study, semaglutide, the main ingredient of GLP-1s, helped slow the buildup of DNA markers tied to inflammation and accelerated aging in major organs.In a world where sleep, diet, and exercise are considered the most important pillars of “healthspan,” are GLP-1s the hidden fourth factor?What’s the Evidence?THE NATURE COMMUNICATIONS study reviewed data from a past trial of adults with HIV-associated lipohypertrophy, a condition that makes it easier for fat to build up around the abdomen. This specific cohort often experiences accelerated biological aging, even when the virus is under control with medication.For 32 weeks, 45 of the participants received a once-weekly GLP-1 injection while 39 served as the control group with a placebo injection. To know whether the injections were slowing down biological aging, the researchers compared people’s “epigenetic clocks” from the start of the trial to the end. The tool measures age-related DNA methylation patterns—chemical tags that turn genes on and off—which can give researchers an idea of how cells in different organs are reprogrammed over time.Study participants injected with semaglutide showed a slowdown in biological aging in the cells in the blood along with organs like the brain, heart, liver, and kidneys compared with the placebo group. In one epigenetic clock, researchers estimated semaglutide helped to slow the pace of biological aging by 9 percent. Additionally, a separate epigenetic clock found evidence of semaglutide slowing down expression of inflammatory markers that could contribute to age-related disease and early death."We are not saying that semaglutide reverses aging or makes people younger," says Michael Corley, PhD, associate professor at the UC San Diego School of Medicine and lead study author. "What we are seeing is a signal that it may slow some of the biological processes associated with aging.”A small, pilot study found more evidence of slower aging in people taking GLP-1 injections. In that study, 41 people living with HIV and fatty liver disease received a once-weekly, one-milligram injection of semaglutide. Based on epigenetic clocks, the researchers observed a slower rate of biological aging in 42 percent of participants. Additionally, nearly 49 percent of people had longer telomeres—DNA caps at the end of chromosomes. (Since telomeres protect chromosomal DNA from degrading, shorter telomeres are often linked with aging.)How Can Semaglutide Extend Longevity?THERE ARE MULTIPLE ways semaglutide could influence the aging process. The first is one of the more well-researched findings: GLP-1’s anti-inflammatory effects. People with diabetes taking GLP-1 medications have been found to have fewer inflammatory biomarkers, including CRP and TNF-α. Elevated levels of both are linked to a number of diseases. The authors in the current study also note that chronic immune activation is one of the key drivers behind accelerated aging in people with HIV. GLP-1s also help with lowering visceral fat, the fat that wraps around your internal organs. While a small amount cushions and protects your organs, an excess amount can release more pro-inflammatory signals.Is Semaglutide an Anti-Aging Drug?IT’S WAY TOO soon to say. Right now, these trials are from immunocompromised populations and scientists will need to evaluate if GLP-1s have a different effect on the cells of healthy individuals. Plus, a larger clinical trial can give scientists a better idea of whether these are temporary or sustained longevity benefits. In short, it might take a couple of years to get a definitive answer on semaglutide as an anti-aging drug.Jocelyn Solis-Moreira, MS is the associate health & fitness for Men's Health and has previously written for CNN, Scientific American, Popular Science, and National Geographic before joining the brand. When she's not working, she's doing circus arts or working towards the perfect pull-up.