Greg Stanton, a renowned physician and researcher, has discovered interesting insights about aging by examining two of his patients. One of his patients passed away at the age of 96 with a healthy lifestyle and no serious illness, while the other died at 73 due to diabetes and dementia. This 23-year difference is just part of the story; another difference is between lifespan (the duration of life) and health span (the duration of healthy life).
Aging and Lifestyle
Experience shows that how we age depends on various factors including lifestyle, economic and social conditions, hereditary genes, and chance. While we cannot change our genes, there is increasing evidence that our lifestyle can influence the behavior of these genes.
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Recently, a study published in the journal "Nature" showed that the drug semaglutide (the active ingredient in Ozempic) significantly increased the lifespan of aging female mice. This drug also improved their memory and physical performance and altered the activity of genes related to aging. These findings have attracted considerable attention.
Results of the Study on Mice
Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, began treating the mice at 20 months of age, which is considered old for these animals. In this study, 40 mice received semaglutide daily, while 39 other mice served as a control group receiving saline injections. The results showed that the mice treated with semaglutide lived on average 92 days longer than the control mice.
This additional time for a mouse is equivalent to a 12% increase in lifespan. While the dosage is similar to that given to humans in weekly Ozempic injections, the way the drug is processed in mice and humans differs, so it cannot be definitively stated whether the same dosage would have a similar effect on humans.
Researchers also found that after three months of treatment with semaglutide, the mice showed improvements in memory, coordination, and endurance tests. For example, in a memory test, they were able to find the escape hole in less than half the time of the control group and ran nearly three times longer than the other group.
Additionally, the effect of semaglutide on the liver cell genes of the mice was noteworthy. This drug reduced the activity of genes related to inflammation and increased the activity of genes associated with DNA repair and the clearance of damaged proteins. These factors are crucial because chronic inflammation and the accumulation of damage in cells are major reasons for the decline in quality of life as we age.
The Potential of Semaglutide in Improving Health
Research indicates that semaglutide may help improve overall health in addition to weight loss. A study in the "New England Journal of Medicine" in 2023 showed that individuals treated with semaglutide reduced their risk of heart attack, stroke, and death from heart disease by 20%.
These results clearly demonstrate that semaglutide can help reduce inflammation, blood pressure, blood sugar, and blood fats. Additionally, a larger study showed that this drug could slow kidney damage and reduce mortality in individuals with type 2 diabetes and kidney disease.
Overall, there is strong evidence suggesting that this drug helps us remain healthier in older age and may even delay the aging process.
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