Is there anything that Ozempic can’t do?
Earlier this month, research presented at the European Society for Cardiology conference suggest the appetite-suppressing injection, known as semaglutide, could help people live longer by slowing down the ageing process.
It’s the latest string to its bow alongside, of course, helping obese and overweight people shed up to 20 per cent of their bodyweight and treating type 2 diabetes and heart failure. It may even help stave off Alzheimer’s, manage arthritis and prevent cancer, early studies suggest.
Professor David Weinkove, chair of the British Society for Research on Ageing, says some scientists believe drugs such as semaglutide could potentially become the first to be approved to boost longevity.
‘We know from animals there is pretty strong evidence that if you bring down their calorie intake that does increase lifespan,’ he says. ‘And if you slow ageing, you slow the development of other diseases.’
Researchers say weightloss drug Ozempic has another string to its bow, slowing down the ageing process
Professor David Weinkove believes drugs such as semaglutide have the potential to increase longevity
So could we all end up taking it to live longer?
‘There’s definitely a case for those trials to be done,’ he adds.
But it’s not the only commonly-used medication which may boost longevity, scientists say.
Several other drugs have also been shown in studies to slow down the biological clock and increase lifespan.
Experts now know that the ageing process involves a range of biological changes which include chronic inflammation, genetic mutations, DNA damage and damage to the ‘battery packs’ within cells called mitochondria which stops them functioning properly.
The idea is that, if you can prevent or slow these processes, you may also prevent or delay the onset of diseases of old age.
The good news is that many of the drugs are not only cheap, but easily accessible – while some are available only on prescription, others can be bought over-the-counter.
So which drugs lurking in your medicine cabinet might have the added bonus of extending your life?
STATINS AREN’T JUST GOOD FOR THE HEART
These once-a-day pills are taken by eight million people in the UK to lower cholesterol and prevent heart attacks and strokes.
Anyone with high cholesterol, those with a family history of heart disease or people with a raised risk of a heart attack may be advised to take them by their GP.
And there is ‘no question’ they extend life, according to doctors.
In general, studies have found they add on between six months to a year to the lives of the average person taking them. Part of this is because they lower the amount of harmful fat, known as LDL cholesterol, which circulates in the bloodstream and accumulates in the arteries.
This can prevent the cascade of problems which leads to heart disease, and can also protect against dementia, including Alzheimer’s, the latest research suggests.
And a meta-analysis of patients aged 65 to 82 with heart disease found statins reduced the risk of an early death from any cause by around one sixth compared to those taking a placebo drug.
One recent study using data taken from the UK Biobank found atorvastatin – one type of statin – was particularly effective at extending life.
Dr Osman Shabir, of the Healthy Lifespan Institute at the University of Sheffield, says: ‘Statins reduce not only cholesterol levels but the amount of inflammation in the body and dial down a process called oxidative stress, which causes cell damage.
‘This benefits every organ system in the body, from the heart and brain to the liver, kidneys and muscles.
‘You reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and dementia, arterial diseases and diabetes.
‘There are multiple effects which together extend life.’
One Spanish study even found statins might slow down the ageing process by keeping the DNA inside each cell healthy.
Dr Shabir says everyone over 50 could benefit from taking a statin – whether at risk of heart disease or not.
‘They do have side-effects for some people and should only be taken after consulting with your GP.
‘But many studies suggest general statin usage has improvements to overall health.’
CHEAP DIABETES DRUG WHICH STAVES OFF DISEASE
It’s been used successfully to lower blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes for over 60 years. But studies have shown metformin can delay ageing in animals.
And, intriguingly, diabetes patients taking the tablets who are obese have lower mortality rates than people without diabetes who aren’t taking metformin, observational studies have shown.
The drug works by reducing the amount of sugar the liver releases into the body, but also reduces inflammation – one of the hallmarks of ageing and age-related disease.
Prof Weinkove says: ‘People taking metformin for diabetes seem to live longer, and stay healthier for longer compared to people taking other diabetes medication.’
A big trial called Targeting Ageing with Metformin, or TAME, is currently being planned and aims to recruit 3,000 older people to prove that ageing can be treated, just like disease.
Dr Shabir said: ‘Metformin and other drugs used to treat diabetes also tend to have multiple effects in the body, like statins.
‘They reduce inflammation and oxidative stress as well as improving insulin resistance and the risk of dementia.
‘If you’re benefiting the heart, the brain, the kidneys, the muscles, that will feed into the longevity aspect because your body is less stressed overall, better able to withstand health issues or infections and that’s why you’ll live longer.’
At the moment, there’s no evidence that metformin is safe to take for healthy people, he adds. It should only be used in people with raised blood sugar.
FORGET VIAGRA – THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE
It was Viagra, the ‘little blue pill’, that took the world by storm when it became the first licensed medicine to treat erectile dysfunction.
But another similar drug, called tadalafil – known by the brand name Cialis – has such startling additional benefits that some doctors say all men over 50 should be taking it.
Studies suggest it can reduce the risk of heart attacks, treat heart failure and type 2 diabetes, stave off dementia and even ease symptoms of an enlarged prostate.
It works by improving blood flow throughout the body – which includes the tiny arteries in the penis, but also the entire network of blood vessels and other organs. Because it lingers in the body for longer than Viagra, and is taken as a daily pill rather than ‘on demand’, the benefits are more sustained.
Professor Geoffrey Hackett, from the British Society for Sexual Medicine, says: ‘Tadalafil doesn’t just help with erections, but also tackles the underlying problems which lead to erectile issues.
‘If you give men tadalafil before they have any problems, you may prevent them ever getting erectile dysfunction in the first place, as well as protecting them against heart disease and everything else.
‘You may not only be preserving their sex lives but their longer-term health, too.’
THE COMMON PAINKILLERS WHICH HELP YOU LIVE LONGER
In a recent study of over one million people, those who regularly took a painkiller called naproxen – commonly used to treat pain and swelling from osteoarthritis or sprains – were more likely to have a longer lifespan.
The medicine, only available on prescription, is part of a group of painkillers called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, which also includes ibuprofen, diclofenac and aspirin.
There are some intriguing other studies, mainly on animals, which also show a similar life-extending benefit, and experts believe that the results may be linked to the fact that the drugs reduce inflammation. Scientists have long believed that inflammation, particularly if it’s chronic, is a hallmark of ageing and linked to the development of disease – and that reducing it can improve symptoms of ageing.
Some observational studies have also reported an association between the use of naproxen and the reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease and some cancers – but it remains unclear whether naproxen is causing this reduced risk.
Prof Weinkove says: ‘There may be something unknown about naproxen that makes it associated with longevity.’
In addition, ibuprofen and aspirin have also been shown to increase longevity in worms and flies by around 15 per cent – equivalent to 12 years in human terms. But whether that’s also true in humans isn’t clear.
A recent study from researchers at the Yale School of Medicine suggested it was linked to activating a protein called NRF2, which kickstarts a process to dampen down inflammation in the body.
Other drugs which activate NRF2 are currently being evaluated to see if they can treat other inflammation-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s, asthma and some cancers.
DRUG FOR TRANSPLANT PATIENTS WHICH SLOWS AGEING AND COULD DELAY MENOPAUSE
It is a drug which now has a cult following, mainly in the US, for its purported anti-ageing benefits.
Rapamycin, also known as Sirolimus, suppresses the immune system and is given to NHS organ transplant patients to prevent their bodies rejecting the new organ.
But studies – mainly on flies and worms, but with some tantalising early evidence of similar effects in humans – have suggested the medication may increase lifespan by nine to 14 per cent, improve the health of organs and revitalise the immune system.
It’s thought it does this by shutting off a key protein called mTOR, which is active when we eat – mimicking the effects of calorie restriction, or intermittent fasting (both of which have been shown to help animals live longer).
This mTOR protein is linked to the development of diseases such as osteoporosis, cancer, and lung condition chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD.
A recent study also found it could potentially extend women’s fertility by up to five years by slowing down the rate at which ovaries produce eggs and delaying menopause – as well as helping them live longer in better health.
Early results from the US study suggest the drug could decrease ovarian ageing by 20 per cent.
And the study lead said participants had reported improvements to their overall health, memory, energy levels and in the quality of their skin and hair.
Prof Weinkove said: ‘The big question is what dose is safe to take. Obviously, high doses – which shuts off your immune system – isn’t ideal and too much of it could be harmful.
‘What people have found in mice is that you can use smaller doses and give them intermittently – one week on, one week off and still get increased lifespan. But again, we need more research.’
… BUT WHY HRT MAY NOT PROVIDE THE BENEFITS YOU THINK
Endocrinologist Dr Annice Mukherjee says current studies on HRT and lifespan are flawed
It’s a controversial claim often trumpeted by private menopause doctors online – that women taking HRT will live longer and healthier lives.
Studies suggest women going through the perimenopause or menopause who take the sex hormones oestrogen and progesterone may be up to 30 per cent less likely to die prematurely than those who don’t use the treatment.
This has partly been attributed to the beneficial effect of the hormones on bone and heart health. As natural levels of women’s hormones decline with age, the risk of bone condition osteoporosis and heart disease increases.
But endocrinologist Dr Annice Mukherjee has warned that the studies which show this apparent benefit to lifespan are flawed because they ignore a crucial fact – that those involved in research who take HRT are, in general, far healthier than those in the general population who do not.
‘It’s smoke and mirrors,’ she says. ‘Research on HRT generally rules out women with underlying health problems such as heart disease, previous cancer or uncontrolled diabetes. So in studies which seem to show an impact on lifespan, the women taking HRT will be healthier anyway, and will be more likely to live longer regardless of what they do.’
Dr Mukherjee says for women over 60, who may already have some degree of heart disease, the evidence suggests starting HRT may accelerate it. There is also a small risk of breast cancer, which increases the longer you take the treatment.
And there is ‘zero data’ on what happens when you give HRT to women who are obese, have underlying health conditions or who live unhealthy lifestyles.
‘That doesn’t mean HRT can’t be transformative for some women,’ she adds. ‘For women going through the menopause early because of surgery or illness, taking HRT will undoubtedly benefit their bone and heart health by replacing the crucial hormones they should otherwise be getting.
‘For other women dealing with debilitating menopause symptoms, it can allow them to live a normal life.’
‘But if you’re just hoping it’ll help you live longer, don’t take it – it’s fine if you’re rich and healthy like Davina McCall, but for some women there may well be other risks.’
