Researchers looking into whether GLP-1 drugs can help slow aging
Scientists are looking into a new frontier with GLP-1 medications and exploring if the class of drugs may help slow the aging process.
As previously reported by The New York Times, researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas, are leading one of the first clinical trials to examine whether tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Zepbound, can impact aging.
"[We] ultimately hope that our research will show that we slow biologic aging by 10 to 15%," Dr. Thomas Blackwell, a professor of medicine at UTMB, told ABC News. "We think there's a lot of people taking GLP-1s. Wait till we prove that it also slows your aging process. Everybody's going to want to take a GLP-1."
The UTMB trial is set to follow adults between the ages of 55 and 70 and who qualify for weight loss treatment. Researchers will study the participants' biological age markers, their levels of inflammation, cognitive function, strength and mobility.
This latest trial follows past studies that are fueling scientists' interest in GLP-1 drugs.
In another trial, researchers with the UC San Diego School of Medicine and Case Western Reserve University are also analyzing blood from 84 adult participants with HIV and abnormal levels of body fat buildup.
"This was really kind of the first look to say, hey, in this scenario, which has a lot of limitations, there essentially was a signal here that warranted future study," Dr. Michael Corley, an associate professor of medicine at UCSD, told ABC News.
After 32 weeks of taking semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, research participants showed changes consistent with slower aging, based on several DNA-based "aging clocks."
"In terms of living longer, these are kind of the studies that need to be conducted further in terms of looking at rigorous clinical trial designs with a particular aging focus," Corley said.
There is currently no scientific evidence that healthy people should take GLP-1 medications for longevity but the research into its potential benefits is just getting started.
