Michael Corley led an early study of Ozempic’s active ingredient, semaglutide, in people with HIV and found signs of slower biological aging after eight months. The work adds to questions about whether GLP-1 drugs could do more than treat obesity and diabetes, but it does not justify using them solely for longevity.
Michael Corley and semaglutide
Corley, an associate professor of medicine at the University of California, San Diego’s Stein Institute for Research on Aging, said, "The trial provided us an opportunity to say, hey, is there any signal here that warrants all the hype?" The signal came from blood biomarkers in people with HIV who took semaglutide for eight months.
That finding sits inside a larger shift already underway. Ozempic and Zepbound are changing how doctors treat obesity and diabetes, and researchers are now testing whether the same GLP-1 medicines can also affect aging-related biology.
Nicolas Musi on GLP-1
Nicolas Musi, director of the Diabetes and Aging Center at Cedars-Sinai, said, "because these drugs reduce diseases linked to aging, it's reasonable to think they could eventually improve longevity as well." He also said he does not recommend taking GLP-1 drugs off-label solely to live longer because there isn't enough evidence to support that use.
Researchers think GLP-1 drugs may reduce chronic inflammation, a pathway tied to aging-related disease. They also say the class improves metabolic health, lowers blood sugar, promotes weight loss, and reduces the risk of heart disease and diabetes.
University of California, San Diego
The early biomarker result is promising, but it is not the same as showing longer life or better aging in otherwise healthy people. Scientists say there is still little evidence that GLP-1 drugs extend lifespan, and they are weighing possible tradeoffs in older adults, including muscle loss and lower bone density.
Several clinical trials are underway to measure whether these medications affect biological aging, inflammation, strength, and mobility. Until those results arrive, the proven basics remain exercise, strength training, a healthy weight, and control of blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol.
