Can Ozempic delay ageing? Experts weigh in on new study

Using drugs for weight loss has always been associated with significant side-effects. However, when Ozempic, an anti-diabetic medication used to treat Type 2 diabetes, was found to have weight loss as a side-effect, it changed the weight loss market.
Now, a new study suggests Ozempic may not only delay ageing but also improve heart health and reduce the risk of death from Covid-19 and other diseases. Sounds too good to be true, right?
But before we dive into that, let us tell you what Ozempic is.
The market today is flooded with drugs claiming to promote weight loss, and Ozempic is one of them. But it comes with major concerns which are beyond just side-effects (which we will get to in a bit) and its high prices.
Firstly, Ozempic is not available in India, yet that hasn’t stopped affluent individuals from finding ways to access it (from smuggling to buying on the dark web).
Secondly, it was never intended as a weight-loss drug; it was developed to treat diabetes.
Dr Archana Batra, a dietician and certified diabetes educator, explains to India Today that Ozempic is the brand name for semaglutide, a medication originally designed for managing Type 2 diabetes.
Dr Danendra Sahu, a consultant endocrinologist at Fortis Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, Delhi, agrees and adds that although Ozempic’s primary use is for diabetes, its weight loss benefits have sparked wider interest in its potential applications.
Science consistently shows that obesity can be harmful to the body and can even become fatal, as it can lead to diseases such as cardiovascular conditions and type 2 diabetes, and may accelerate ageing.
Therefore, when Ozempic and Wegovy (a semaglutide and a prescription injection designed to treat obesity) and other similar drugs became available for weight management, experts also believed that these medications could help combat the diseases associated with obesity.
Now, a new three-year-long study confirms this with anti-ageing as the newest benefit of the drug.

Wegovy is a semaglutide, which is a prescription injection designed to treat obesity. Photo: Getty Images

This study was published in several medical journals, including the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC), where Prof Krumholz serves as editor.
He says, “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.”
The studies, part of the select trial, followed over 17,600 individuals aged 45 and above who were either given 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.
And the results?
Dr Benjamin Scirica, lead author of one of the studies and professor of cardiovascular medicine at Harvard Medical School, noted that the findings “reinforce that being overweight or obese raises the risk of death from various causes but this risk can be mitigated by potent incretin-based therapies like semaglutide.”
India Today spoke to various experts and all seem to agree that since semaglutide might help in weight loss, it can possibly reduce the ageing process.
Dr Malhar Ganla, an obesity reversal specialist and the co-founder of Freedom from Diabetes says that since weight loss can improve overall health and potentially slow down age-related conditions, so indirectly, Ozempic’s weight loss effects might contribute to healthier ageing.

Weight loss is a side-effect of Ozempic. Photo: Getty Images

Dr Danendra Sahu agrees and adds, “The beneficial effects of Ozempic are related to the weight loss it induces. Losing weight, particularly excess visceral fat can lead to improved metabolic health, reduced inflammation, and lower oxidative stress, all of which are associated with healthier ageing.”
He further says that in addition to this, semaglutide drugs have shown to decrease inflammation in multiple organs which indirectly leads to other beneficial effects.
“By improving overall health and reducing the risk of age-related diseases, weight loss facilitated by Ozempic may contribute to a more youthful biological profile. However, this is more about improving healthspan rather than directly delaying the ageing process,” he says.
Although Ozempic and other similar drugs might seem like an easy solution, experts warn that losing weight this way isn’t the healthiest option. Many people regain the weight they lost once they stop taking the drug.
Additionally, like any other drug, Ozempic comes with side-effects like vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, and constipation, along with more serious risks like pancreatitis, gallbladder issues, and kidney problems. So, make an informed decision.