Weight loss drugs may slow ageing

Research from the United States shows that semaglutide, the active component of weight loss drugs Wegovy and Ozempic, slowed biological ageing, improved cognition and reduced alcohol use in two different clinical trials.

Semaglutide was originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes and support weight loss by suppressing the action of the human gut hormone GLP-1. Because this hormone also acts outside the gut, semaglutide is now being studied for a broader range of health benefits, namely inflammation and brain ageing. 

New findings from the University of California San Diego, presented at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2025), show the influence of semaglutide on a clinical trial involving people living with HIV. When used in people with fat buildup around the organs, semaglutide slowed changes in their DNA linked to ageing, suggesting it could have protective effects against getting older too quickly. 

A separate clinical trial also showed that low doses of semaglutide might help people with alcohol use disorder by reducing cravings and some aspects of drinking. This now confirms previous observations in rat studies, where semaglutide reduced alcohol drinking behaviours, possibly via a reduction in the alcohol-induced brain reward system.

These early results, not yet peer-reviewed, are promising, but researchers say more studies and larger clinical trials are needed to see if the effects last and work in other groups of people.