New Delhi: One after another, studies have suggested that GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic and Zepbound can help with weight loss and improve cardiovascular, liver, and kidney health. Now, a recent study has found that these drugs may also improve markers associated with biological aging among people living with HIV.
The study, published in May in Nature Communications, was conducted by researchers from the University of California, TruDiagnostics, Medical University of South Carolina, and University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Centre. Among those with HIV, researchers found improvement in biomarkers linked to inflammation and brain-heart ageing.
HIV is often associated with accelerated biological aging, therefore people who live with the diseases are “a good population” when it comes to research about potential anti-ageing drugs and therapies, Michael Corley, lead researcher and professor at University of California, told The New York Times.
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Influence on cellular changes
Metabolic health and ageing are deeply connected, and changes in metabolism can quickly impact how the body ages.
This connection led researchers and experts to investigate whether drugs such as semaglutide, which improve insulin regulation and metabolic health, could also influence aging. Especially since GLP-1 drugs were originally developed to treat Type-2 diabetes but are now widely used to reduce obesity.
“We know they have a significant anti-inflammatory effect, and we know inflammation is one of the things that accelerates aging,” Thomas Blackwell, a professor of general internal medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, told The New York Times.
For the study, researchers analysed the blood samples from 84 people with HIV-associated lipohypertrophy. Over 32 weeks, 45 participants received the active drug (semaglutide) while 39 received a placebo.
However, several researchers have pointed out the loopholes in the study, even if it sounded promising.
The trial included only people living with HIV and lipohypertrophy and did not study healthy individuals without HIV. This makes it unclear whether these findings could apply to a larger population.
Researchers have pointed out that rapid weight loss associated with GLP-1 drugs can cause muscle loss too. This could reduce strength, and lead to decline in bone density leading to bone related diseases.
Clinical trials are now increasingly studying the impact of GLP-1 drugs on several age markers such as inflammation levels, metabolism, muscle strength and walking speed.
“Prospective trials are needed to determine whether GLP-1 receptor agonists can be repurposed as gerotherapeutics”, the study read.