A medication that is used to treat obesity and Type 2 diabetes may also slow down the ageing process, according to studies.
Prof. Harlan Krumholz of the Yale School of Medicine stated that semaglutide, also referred to as Ozempic, "has far-reaching benefits beyond what we initially imagined" after the release of multiple new studies.
They discovered that a variety of conditions connected to cancer, arthritis, heart failure, and Alzheimer's disease may be treated with the medication.
At the European Society of Cardiology Conference 2024, where the research were presented, Prof. Krumholz was cited on Friday as saying, "It wouldn't surprise me that improving people's health this way actually slows down the ageing process."
A drug used to treat Type 2 diabetes and obesity could also slow down the process of ageing, researchers believe.
Semaglutide, better known as Ozempic, "has far-reaching benefits beyond what we initially imagined," Prof Harlan Krumholz, from the Yale School of Medicine, said following the publication of several new studies.
They found that the drug could be used to treat a wide range of illnesses linked to heart failure, arthritis, Alzheimer's and even cancer.
"It wouldn't surprise me that improving people's health this way actually slows down the ageing process," Prof Krumholz was quoted on Friday as telling the European Society of Cardiology Conference 2024, where the studies were presented.
The new data has been published in a number of medical journals, including the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC), which Prof Krumholz edits.
"These ground-breaking medications are poised to revolutionise cardiovascular care and could dramatically enhance cardiovascular health," he said.
The studies - part of the Select trial - tracked more than 17,600 people, aged 45 or older, as they were given either 2.4 mg of semaglutide or a placebo for more than three years.
Participants were obese or overweight and had cardiovascular disease but not diabetes.
Those who took the drug died at a lower rate from all causes, including cardiovascular issues and Covid-19, researchers found.
People using the weight-loss drug were just as likely to catch Covid but they were less likely to die from it, with 2.6% dying among those on semaglutide compared with 3.1% on the placebo.
And while women experienced fewer major adverse cardiovascular events, the drug "consistently reduced the risk" of adverse cardiovascular outcomes regardless of sex.
It also improved heart failure symptoms and cut levels of inflammation in the body regardless of whether or not people lost weight.
Dr Benjamin Scirica, lead author of one of the studies and a professor of cardiovascular medicine at Harvard Medical School, said the findings "reinforce that overweight and obesity increases the risk of death due to many etiologies".
However, this "can be modified with potent incretin-based therapies like semaglutide," he told the PA news agency.
The medicine is a prescription that the NHS provides; it suppresses hunger and is marketed under the names Ozempic for diabetes and Wegovy for obesity.
It is administered as an injectable and functions as a GLP-1 mimic, increasing feelings of fullness and decreasing feelings of hunger.
In the past, experts have cautioned that the medication should only be prescribed under medical supervision and that it is neither a rapid cure nor a substitute for a healthy diet and regular exercise.
Similar to every drug, there is a possibility of side effects and hazards; nausea, upset stomach, bloating, and gas are the most typical ones.
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