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Forget the supplement aisle. A major Yale study found that prescription drugs like metformin and semaglutide, along with diet and exercise, can measurably slow biological aging — while popular over-the-counter supplements showed little effect. The analysis, published in Nature Medicine, reviewed 51 clinical studies using DNA-based blood tests to measure changes in biological age, though researchers caution that slower biological aging doesn't yet guarantee a longer life.
Forget the supplement aisle. Yale researchers have published a sweeping analysis in Nature Medicine revealing which anti-aging strategies actually move the needle on biological age — and which ones fall short. Using DNA-based blood tests called epigenetic clocks, which track chemical changes to DNA linked to aging, the team reviewed 51 clinical studies and more than 110 biological age markers to compare the effects of various interventions.
The winners? Prescription medications — particularly metformin, semaglutide, and anti-TNF therapies — showed the strongest reductions in biological age markers. Combining regular exercise with healthy diets (Mediterranean, low-fat, or low-carb) also consistently produced favorable results. Over-the-counter supplements, on the other hand, largely failed to show measurable effects.
Key Takeaways:
Why it matters: This research gives clinicians and researchers a more rigorous framework for evaluating anti-aging therapies. But the team is quick to note a critical caveat — changes in biological age markers don't yet confirm reduced disease risk or longer life, and more validation in diverse populations is still needed.
