Health

Semaglutide extends lifespan and improves health metrics in aging mice, study finds

Research in Nature shows the GLP-1 drug increased mouse lifespan by 12 percent and mimicked key genetic mechanisms of calorie restriction.

Updated Sep 2, 2026 · 17:19 UTC1 reports

The short version

A study led by UC Berkeley researchers found that administering semaglutide to late-life female mice increased their median lifespan by about 12 percent.
The drug matched or exceeded the physical, cognitive, and metabolic benefits associated with calorie-restricted diets in mouse models.
Researchers have not yet determined whether semaglutide or direct calorie restriction produces greater longevity gains, or whether the findings will replicate in humans.

Administering semaglutide to 20-month-old female mice for the remainder of their lives increased their median lifespan from 742 days to 834 days, a gain of roughly 12 percent compared with untreated mice.[Scientific American]
Mice treated with semaglutide demonstrated improved blood sugar regulation, memory preservation, maze solving, and physical endurance compared with control groups.[Scientific American]
Liver gene activity sequencing revealed that semaglutide shared significant overlap with calorie restriction by reducing inflammation and fat processing while upregulating genes related to protein maintenance and glucose regulation.[Scientific American]
The research, published in the journal Nature, was led by senior author Danica Chen at the University of California, Berkeley.[Scientific American]

It remains unknown whether semaglutide or direct dietary calorie restriction provides a superior overall lifespan extension, an issue currently under ongoing experimental investigation.[Scientific American]
Researchers have not established the exact mechanism explaining why semaglutide provided stronger memory and blood sugar advantages over pure calorie restriction in the trial.[Scientific American]