Protocol
GLP-1 RA · semaglutide · Wegovy · Ozempic · tirzepatide · Mounjaro · GLP-1/GIP dual agonist · incretin mimetics
This is the strongest human evidence base in the longevity-clinic drug universe, but the strength sits in cardiometabolic disease, not in ageing. The SELECT trial (17,604 adults with overweight or obesity and established cardiovascular disease, no diabetes; ~40 months mean follow-up) found semaglutide 2.4 mg weekly cut the composite of cardiovascular death, non-fatal MI and non-fatal stroke by 20% (HR 0.80, 95% CI 0.72 to 0.90, p<0.001), with a supportive but hierarchically untested all-cause mortality signal (HR 0.81, 95% CI 0.71 to 0.93) and mean 9.4% weight loss. Reducing MACE and incident diabetes in a high-risk population is a genuine healthspan-relevant outcome, and that is what justifies a clinical grade. What the evidence does NOT show: no trial has demonstrated that GLP-1 RAs extend lifespan, and none was designed to. Ageing-specific data is early and small. A randomised placebo-controlled study reported semaglutide slowed one validated epigenetic clock by roughly 9%, and a UC San Diego pilot reported telomere lengthening in about half of treated participants over 24 weeks; these are surrogate biomarkers, not outcomes, in small samples, and epigenetic-clock movement has never been validated as a proxy for lifespan. The first trial explicitly powered for healthspan endpoints in healthy older adults, VITAL-H (ARPA-H funded, UT Health San Antonio), was only announced in February 2026 and has not reported. Critically, essentially all outcome evidence comes from populations with obesity, diabetes or established cardiovascular disease. There is no outcome evidence supporting use in metabolically healthy, normal-weight adults, which is precisely the longevity-clinic use case, and no evidence base at all for the "microdosing for longevity" protocols some clinics market. Loss of lean mass with weight loss is a real and under-discussed risk in older adults. Verdict: clinical for cardiometabolic and weight outcomes in indicated populations; mechanism-to-preclinical for any anti-ageing claim specifically.
Singapore
Australia
What it is
GLP-1 receptor agonists are injectable prescription medicines that mimic the incretin hormone GLP-1, slowing gastric emptying, increasing satiety and improving glycaemic control. Semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) acts on the GLP-1 receptor alone; tirzepatide (Mounjaro) is a dual GIP/GLP-1 agonist. They are registered medicines for type 2 diabetes and chronic weight management, and are increasingly marketed by longevity clinics on the broader claim that they slow biological ageing, a claim that runs well ahead of the drugs' actual approved indications.
Coverage
Sources
Every entity profile on variis is sourced. Not medical advice.