Does Ozempic slow the ageing process?

Jump to: What is the SELECT trial? | Excess body fat is linked to accelerated ageing | High blood sugar levels accelerate ageing | Take home message

A recent analysis of the SELECT trial suggests semaglutide (Ozempic/Wegovy) may have health-promoting benefits beyond weight loss.

These benefits included a reduced risk of dying from cardiovascular disease and infections.

This led researchers on the trial to speculate that weight-loss injections like Ozempic may slow down the ageing process and help people live longer.

However, as the study didn’t specifically measure the participant’s biological age, it’s difficult to say whether weight-loss injections like Ozempic slow the ageing process.

What is the SELECT trial?

The SELECT trial was a randomised controlled trial investigating the impact of semaglutide on weight loss and heart health in individuals living with obesity and cardiovascular disease.

The primary outcomes measured in the study were weight loss, heart failure, and other cardiovascular outcomes like a heart attack or stroke.

Researchers continue to analyse the medication’s impact on the participants’ health to understand the drug’s long-term effects on health.

This latest analysis suggests that semaglutide may improve our immune function and increase the lifespan of individuals taking the medication.

However, the suggestion that semaglutide slows the ageing process is no more than speculation at present, as the study didn’t specifically estimate the participant’s biological age.

Complex cellular measurements would also need to be used to estimate biological age accurately and whether it changed during the study, but they weren’t conducted in this analysis.

While semaglutide has positive health effects largely attributed to weight loss and improvements in blood sugar control, it’s not yet clear whether this corresponds to slowing the ageing process.

Still, good evidence suggests that weight loss and improving blood sugar control (lowering insulin resistance) can positively impact biological age and help us live longer.

So, read on as we discuss the science of how weight loss and improving blood sugar control can slow the ageing process and why this might explain the life-extending benefits of weight-loss injections like Ozempic and Wegovy.

Excess body fat is linked to accelerated ageing

Research suggests obesity is linked to markers of accelerated ageing, one of which is telomere length.

Telomeres are the protective caps at the end of chromosomes in cells. They are like the plastic end of a shoelace.

Typically, the longer our telomeres, the healthier we are and the lower our biological age. Telomere length is a primary indicator of the ageing process.

Studies show that people living with obesity have shorter telomeres than individuals with lower levels of body fat. Research has also shown that weight loss can lead to increased telomere length.

The fact that people living with obesity have shorter telomeres and weight loss contributes to telomere growth suggests a strong connection between obesity and the ageing process.

Why would obesity impact ageing?

Excess body fat and enlarged fat cells release harmful compounds into the body called cytokines. Cytokines are a part of our immune system and play a vital role in maintaining our health.

However, in obesity, enlarged fat cells secrete an excessive amount of these cytokines into the body. They disrupt the normal functioning of our cells and likely contribute to shorter telomere length and accelerated ageing.

Obesity can also contribute to higher levels of oxidative stress in the body, further disrupting our cell’s ability to function normally.

Our body wants to maintain a specific level of balance, called homeostasis. Homeostasis is achieved when the right balance of compounds in the body promotes proper functioning.

Obesity and excess body fat disrupt homeostasis and our body’s ability to maintain normal functioning. This includes the ability of our heart to pump, our kidneys to filter blood, and so on.

So, weight-loss injections like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro may slow the ageing process by helping the body lose excess fat, lower inflammation, and return to healthy homeostasis.

High blood sugar levels accelerate ageing

High blood sugar (glucose) levels accelerate ageing through mechanisms similar to obesity and excess body fat.

High sugar levels increase inflammation, oxidative stress, cellular dysfunction, and shorten telomere length.

Another hallmark of ageing is the acceleration of cellular senescence, where our cells lose their ability to divide and grow. This process leads to a buildup of ‘senescent cells’ in our body.

The greater the number of senescent cells, the higher our biological age. High blood glucose increases cellular senescence, accelerating the ageing process.

Weight-loss injections like Ozempic and Wegovy help lower blood sugar levels by improving the action of insulin, a hormone responsible for managing blood sugar levels.

Additionally, losing weight helps lower blood sugar levels through various mechanisms, such as improving liver and pancreas function (two organs essential in managing blood sugar levels).

Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro could slow the ageing process by improving blood sugar control and insulin function.

Take home message

Weight-loss injections like Ozempic and Wegovy continue to be intensively studied to determine their long-term impact on our health.

The recent analysis showing reduced death from infection and cardiovascular disease made headlines across the UK as researchers speculated that these drugs may have profound effects on our bodies beyond their ability to support weight loss.

However, there’s sufficient evidence to show a significant relationship between excess body fat, high blood sugar levels, and the hallmarks of ageing.

These drugs’ main contribution to our bodies’ ability to function and slow the ageing process is likely their effect on supporting weight loss and lowering blood sugar levels.

Finally, it’s important we recognise that obesity and type 2 diabetes are associated with a shortened life span compared to those not living with these conditions. 

Rather than viewing these medications as ‘slowing the ageing process’, we should be seeing them as potentially returning the ageing process to a level more typically associated with a healthier population.