Weight-loss drugs such as semaglutide, marketed under the brand names Wegovy and Ozempic, are set to revolutionise healthcare by potentially slowing down the ageing process and extending healthy lifespans, according to leading scientists. This bold assertion follows recent studies presented at the European Society of Cardiology Conference in London.
Previous research indicated that semaglutide significantly reduced the risk of death in individuals who were obese or overweight and had cardiovascular disease. However, new findings suggest that the benefits of Ozempic extend far beyond initial expectations.
The latest studies reveal that the drug not only reduces cardiovascular-related deaths but also lowers the overall mortality rate from all causes.
Prof. Harlan Krumholz from Yale School of Medicine highlighted the drug’s extensive benefits, stating, “Semaglutide has far-reaching benefits beyond what we initially imagined. It’s not just avoiding heart attacks. These are health promoters. It wouldn’t surprise me that improving people’s health this way actually slows down the ageing process.”
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The studies, conducted as part of the Select trial in the US, involved 17,604 participants aged 45 or older, all of whom were overweight or obese with established cardiovascular disease but not diabetes. The participants were given either semaglutide or a placebo and were monitored for over three years.
Out of the 833 participants who died during the study, 58 per cent of deaths were related to cardiovascular causes, while 42 per cent were attributed to other causes, with infections being the most common among the latter group. Notably, those receiving semaglutide were less likely to die from infections compared to those in the placebo group, and the drug consistently reduced adverse cardiovascular outcomes.
Benjamin Scirica, a Harvard professor and lead author of one of the studies, noted, “The robust reduction in non-cardiovascular death, and particularly infection deaths, was surprising. These findings reinforce that overweight and obesity increase the risk of death due to many etiologies, which can be modified with therapies like semaglutide.”
