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Is this the fountain of youth? Weight-loss drug loved by celebrities could slow down biological ageing, scientists say
Weight-loss jabs could provide a ‘fountain of youth’ after trials found they tackle the underlying cause behind a number of chronic diseases.
Landmark studies presented at the world’s largest cardiology conference showed the likes of Wegovy and Ozempic have ‘far-reaching benefits beyond what we initially imagined’.
Doctors say there is growing evidence the drugs – which are popular with celebrities – could slow biological ageing, helping people to ‘live longer and better’.
A raft of studies yesterday presented to 30,000 delegates show the weekly jabs can prevent heart failure, cut Covid deaths, reverse kidney disease and reduce once-untreatable high blood pressure.
Experts added that the ‘incredibly exciting’ findings mean they ‘stop being weight-loss drugs’ and become ‘drugs that will target diseases’.
Scientists also claim they are now confident the drug works by reducing inflammation, which is linked to cancer, diabetes, dementia and heart disease.
There is growing evidence to suggest that weight-loss drugs such as Wegovy and Oxempic could slow biological ageing, helping people to ‘live longer and better’, doctors say
Wegovy and Ozempic work by triggering the body to produce a hormone called GLP-1 that is released naturally from the intestines after meals
Dr Harlan Krumholz, Professor of Medicine at Yale University School of Medicine, said they must now be seen as a multi-purpose drug and ‘health promoter,’ rather than just a weight-loss aid.
He added results suggest that the key ingredient in these drugs, semaglutide, may slow the biological clock of cells, effectively reducing a person’s physical age.
Speaking at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in London, he said: ‘Is it a fountain of youth... I would say if you’re improving someone’s cardiometabolic health substantially, then you are putting them in a position to live longer and better.
‘It wouldn’t surprise me that improving people’s health this way actually slows down the ageing process.’
In the biggest presentation of global research on the impact of weight-loss jabs on heart health, results of 11 studies found it worked like a ‘thermostat’ in cutting baseline inflammation.
Professor Subodh Verma, of Toronto University – lead author of one of the studies – said this was significant as there are no existing anti-inflammatory drugs for heart failure.
‘Semaglutide acts independently of changes in body weight to reduce inflammation,’ he added. ‘Even people who lost 5, 10, 15 per cent of body weight, the degree of inflammation reduction was the same.’
John Deanfield, professor of cardiology at University College London, added it was time to stop treating these medications as ‘lifestyle drugs’.
Studies presented to 30,000 delegates show the weekly jabs can prevent heart failure, cut Covid deaths, reverse kidney disease and reduce once-untreatable high blood pressure
He said: ‘Not only can you prevent or delay an individual disease by early intervention, but you might be able to alter the outcome for a whole set of diseases of aging we’d all like to avoid. It’s incredibly exciting.’
Another study showed semaglutide led to a fall in ‘treatment-resistant’ blood pressure, helping a third of patients for whom medication had previously failed.
There are even suggestions it could help in future pandemics after a 17,000-strong trial – which started before the outbreak of coronavirus – found those taking semaglutide were 34 per cent less likely to die when infected by Covid-19 compared to those who weren’t on the drug.
Study leader Dr Jeremy Samuel Faust, of Harvard Medical School, said the effect was ‘akin to a vaccine’ and could apply to many other infections.
The jabs, which mimic the action of a hormone called GLP-1 to reduce appetite, has been popularised by a host of celebrities – from X boss Elon Musk to ex-Prime Minister Boris Johnson – for its weight-loss potential.
Wegovy which is currently prescribed for obesity and type 2 diabetes on the NHS has proven to reduce heart attacks and strokes by a fifth
Currently prescribed on the NHS for obesity and type 2 diabetes, semaglutide has already been proven to cut deaths from heart attacks and strokes by a fifth.
Dr Krumholz said: ‘This throws into question whether or not these drugs should be reserved for people with the most severe forms of obesity.’
And Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation and consultant cardiologist, said the research was ‘cause for celebration’, adding: ‘Studies show semaglutide not only leads to substantial weight loss, but is also effective in saving and improving lives for people living with heart disease.
‘This could be a game-changer for patients with a range of different heart conditions.’