National Seniors Australia
THE search for a longer, healthier life may have taken an unexpected turn, with popular weight-loss medications emerging as potential weapons against the biological processes associated with ageing.
Drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy, already attracting worldwide attention for their effectiveness in treating type 2 diabetes and obesity, are now being investigated for benefits that could extend well beyond the bathroom scales.
Emerging research suggests some patients taking the medications may experience improvements in biological-age measurements equivalent to turning back the clock by two to three years.
While scientists are far from declaring the discovery a breakthrough in reversing ageing, the findings have sparked considerable interest in the potential for these treatments to support healthier lives as people grow older.
The medications belong to a class known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, which help regulate blood sugar, reduce appetite and support weight management.
Research presented by pharmaceutical companies Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly found that some people receiving GLP-1 treatments recorded improvements in biological-age markers compared with those given a placebo.
Unlike chronological age, which measures the number of years a person has lived, biological age attempts to assess how well the body’s cells, tissues and organs are functioning.
Scientists examine indicators including DNA changes and protein levels to estimate whether the body is ageing faster or slower than expected.
In some participants, those measurements suggested improvements equivalent to approximately two or three years of biological ageing.
However, researchers have cautioned that the findings remain preliminary and do not establish that the medications can reverse ageing.
