Beyond the widespread attention GLP-1 drugs are receiving for treating obesity, lowering blood sugar and decreasing the risk of cardiovascular disease, emerging research is investigating their other potential impacts — including their effects on aging.
Now, a new study provides the first randomized, placebo-controlled clinical evidence that semaglutide, a widely used GLP-1 drug, slows down the accumulation of biological aging markers in the DNA of adults with HIV. The study is published in Nature Communications.
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego and several partner institutions analyzed data from a previously published clinical trial of 108 adults with HIV‑associated lipohypertrophy, a condition in which excess fat builds up around the abdomen. About half of the participants received weekly injections of semaglutide, with the rest receiving placebo injections.
