GLP-1 Drugs May Slow Aging, Extend Mice’s Lifespans by 12%

Research suggests that GLP-1 drugs used to treat obesity and diabetes may slow aging. In a mouse study, animals given the drugs lived longer than those that did not receive them, and age-related changes progressed more slowly.

According to a study published on the 2nd (local time) in the international journal Nature, older female mice that received a GLP-1 obesity drug lived longer than mice that did not receive it, and the progression of several biological changes associated with aging also slowed.

The researchers administered semaglutide (brand names Ozempic and Wegovy), a GLP-1 drug, to healthy 20-month-old female mice, roughly equivalent to 60 years of age in humans. The treated mice had an average lifespan of 834 days, 12% longer than the control group’s 742 days.

Mice given semaglutide also performed better than controls on assessments of motor coordination, muscle function and the body’s ability to metabolize sugar. The researchers found that the treatment also mitigated the effects of several cellular and molecular changes, including inflammation, known to contribute to aging.

Danica Chen, a biologist at the University of California, Berkeley, and a co-author of the study, said the experiment was conducted as an extension of previous research showing that calorie restriction extends lifespan, given that GLP-1 drugs reduce appetite and thus lower calorie intake.

Michael Corley, an aging expert at the University of California, San Diego, said, “GLP-1 drugs are among the most promising candidates in the search for longevity treatments.” However, he said, “This study shows positive results in a very rigorous animal experiment,” adding that the findings are still at an early stage and it could take years to establish whether GLP-1 drugs could be prescribed to promote longevity.

Ho Ko, a neuroscientist at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said the findings were “highly complementary” to previous mouse studies examining the anti-aging effects of obesity drugs. He said his research team found that low-dose exenatide, another GLP-1 drug, delayed age-related changes, including loss of muscle strength, in older male mice.

Ko stressed, however, that further research is needed because his study involved male mice, while the current study involved female mice. He explained that a treatment that works in one sex does not necessarily work in the other.

Ko said he was “very excited” about the potential anti-aging effects of GLP-1 drugs, but added that “it would not be advisable to give the drugs to completely healthy people and follow them over the long term.” He suggested that people in the early stages of age-related diseases would be the most appropriate candidates for testing the drugs.

Meanwhile, researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston are conducting a phase 2 clinical trial to evaluate the potential anti-aging effects of tirzepatide (brand names Mounjaro and Zepbound), a weight-loss drug. The trial will include 90 adults ages 55 to 70 who have obesity or are overweight with a weight-related condition. It is scheduled to begin in February 2026 and end in January 2028.