We should consider testing Ozempic on healthy people
Blondet Eliot / Abaca / Shutterstock
Author Mark Twain noted once “life would be infinitely happier if we could be born at the age of 80 and gradually approach 18”. The pursuit of young people has inspired legends and literature for centuries, but what happens if we finally went somewhere with it?
A recent study suggests that taking Ozempic on the drug GLP-1, the active ingredient of which is semaglutide, could drop three years of organic leave of people. A place where this effect was the most pronounced was the brain, which raises the possibility that drugs like Ozempic can help avoid conditions such as dementia. He also seemed to deactivate the inflammatory system, which is linked to health problems, including heart disease, chronic pain, depression and more.
The semaglutide has been developed for type 2 diabetes and has also transformed the way we deal with obesity. But it should be noted that its effects on aging have been observed specifically for those who have a condition called lipohypertrophy associated with HIV, which causes excess fat and accelerated cell aging. However, study authors are convinced that the effects will also apply to other people.
Ozempic seems to deregulate the inflammatory system, which is linked to many conditions
It is tempting to think that we should all now take these drugs to harvest their reversing advantages of age. But without robust evidence of large trials controlled by placebo in healthy people, we cannot be sure that it is a good idea. To make them would be controversial: there is a risk of side effects, so we must be convinced that the advantages prevail over this. And if the supplies decrease, the priority must always go to those who are most in need.
Despite this, many healthy people seem – at least anecdotal – to already take these drugs for weight loss “out of the label” without knowing if it is sure. The tests would give us a clearer image of the risks of this, and told us other things, such as the way in which rapid weight loss affects lean muscle mass.
As the list of health benefits of these drugs increases, it may now be time to consider testing them in people with no medical conditions, we can finally see if aging can be slowed down and stop speculating on the elixir of young people.
Subjects:
