Ozempic and similar drugs are not only for weight loss, but more and more research has found. New data is the latest data that GLP-1 drugs also help reduce people’s alcohol consumption.
Scientists in Ireland and Saudi Arabia conducted the study, which involved about 200 patients who were prescribed GLP-1 drugs to manage their obesity. They found that people not only lose weight on medications, but also tend to reduce alcohol intake, up to two-thirds for those who drink the most in advance. The researchers say the findings reinforce GLP-1 as an addiction treatment.
semaglutide (an active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy) and similar GLP-1 drugs are more effective in helping people lose weight than diet and exercise alone. But some scientists are also beginning to notice that these drugs may help reduce cravings for foods other than food, including potentially harmful drugs such as opioids, cocaine and alcohol. Early research has also begun to support these anecdotal observations.
The new study is prospective, meaning researchers actively track how people drink alcohol after starting GLP-1 treatment (many similar studies in the past are retrospective and can only look back). Study participants were real-life patients who prescribed ceguate or Liraglutide (an older GLP-1 drug). Participants reported alcohol content before starting the drug and were then asked to return three to six months later for follow-up.
Overall, 188 people returned at least one follow-up visit. Drinkers reported drinking less alcohol on average after starting GLP-1 medication. Initially Drinking Originally: High consumers (defined as 11 drinks per week) reported a 68% reduction in alcohol consumption, from an average of 23 drinks per week to 8 drinks per week. Researchers noted that this level of reduction is comparable to the effectiveness of existing treatments for alcohol consumption disorders.
“Our results show that patients treated with GLP-1 RAS have significantly reduced alcohol intake, which will be presented at the annual conference on obesity in Europe this weekend. The findings were also published earlier this year in the journal Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism.
The study does have limitations, such as the lack of control group and a relatively small sample size. There are still some mystery as to how exactly these drugs affect drug cravings, although there is doubt that GLP-1 receptors in the brain regulate our response to rewards and potentially addictive stimuli, such as alcohol. However, there is evidence that GLP-1 has another life-based treatment as a treatment for drug use disorders.
The authors point out that there is a weak positive correlation between a person’s reduced weight and the amount of alcohol they consume – given that alcoholic beverages tend to make sense. So at least, these drugs may offer dual functions for people struggling with their weight and drinking habits, the authors said.
“These findings suggest a potential therapeutic role of GLP-1 RAS in managing concurrent obesity and alcohol consumption,” the researchers wrote.
Ultimately, it will require randomized and controlled clinical trials to really know whether Semaglutide can be a reliable frontline option for substance use disorders, some of which are already in progress.
