Overview
- The peer-reviewed study published on Wednesday, September 2 reports that daily semaglutide begun in 20-month-old female mice raised median lifespan by about 100 days, roughly a 12 percent increase.
- Treated mice showed reduced molecular hallmarks of ageing, better muscle function, improved coordination, increased neurogenesis in the hippocampus, and sharper performance on memory tests.
- Researchers ran a diet-matched control that ate about 24 percent less to separate appetite effects from drug effects and found overlapping gene changes but superior memory and glycemic outcomes in the semaglutide group.
- The experiments were done only in aged female mice, male animals were not tested, and authors and outside experts warn that human benefits and risks are unproven and require targeted clinical trials and safety monitoring for issues such as muscle loss and frailty.
- The study, led by UC Berkeley and funded by the National Institute on Aging, adds to evidence that GLP-1 drugs affect multiple organs and metabolism and is likely to spur trials testing whether these findings translate to meaningful healthspan or lifespan gains in people.