Mouse study: Semaglutide may slow aging, not just reduce weight
A new study found that semaglutide extended female mice's median lifespan by 12% and improved several aging markers, though scientists caution the results cannot yet be applied to humans.
Physician and columnist Pēteris Apinis has written about a recent study on semaglutide, a drug originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes that has since gained popularity as an effective weight-loss treatment. Semaglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist that mimics a gut hormone, stimulating insulin release, slowing stomach emptying, and suppressing appetite. It is marketed under the names Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus.
How the study worked
Researchers treated female mice aged around 20 months — roughly equivalent to a 60-year-old human — dividing them into two groups: 40 animals received daily semaglutide injections, while 39 received saline, and both groups were observed until death.
Key findings
The median lifespan of semaglutide-treated mice was 834 days, compared with 742 days in the control group — a 12% increase. However, Apinis notes both groups lived shorter lives than this mouse strain has shown in other studies, where the median reached 866 days.
Semaglutide-treated mice performed better on spatial memory tests, showed improved motor coordination and physical endurance, and ate roughly 24% less food, losing mostly fat rather than muscle mass. In the hippocampus, the brain region responsible for memory, researchers found more markers associated with the formation of new neurons. The treated mice also showed reduced expression of inflammatory cytokines and cellular aging markers.
Cautious conclusions
Apinis stresses that a single study using one female mouse strain cannot confirm whether the effect would extend to male mice, other genetic backgrounds, or humans. Still, he says the results provide a compelling reason to further investigate semaglutide as a potential geroprotector — a drug that could delay aging.
