Topline
Use of some GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy, Ozempic and Victoza could help curb drinking in those struggling with alcohol use disorder, a new study by European researchers published Wednesday suggests, the latest research showing the medications could be used to treat addiction.
Ozempic pictured on Oct. 10, 2024, in Sydney, Australia.
Key Facts
Scientists in Finland and Sweden on Wednesday published the results of a study using 17 years of data that observed more than 220,000 people who were diagnosed with alcohol use disorder and either had obesity or Type 2 diabetes, conditions most commonly treated by glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1) medications.
The study found those taking semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, and liraglutide, the ingredient in Victoza, experienced reduced alcohol consumption and were less likely to be hospitalized for alcohol-related issues than their peers (the same was not true of all GLP-1 drugs, just those containing semaglutide and liraglutide).
Of the 227,866 people studied, around 75,454 were using medication specifically to treat alcohol use disorder, but researchers found those on semaglutide and liraglutide had a lower risk of hospitalization than those using addiction-treating drugs.
Of the 4,321 people in the study on GLP-1 medications, there were 222 hospitalizations for alcohol use, or 5% of patients, significantly lower than the 30,198, or 40%, of patients who were hospitalized while using medications approved to treat alcohol use disorder.
Researchers warned the results of the study should be interpreted "cautiously" and that clinical trials will be needed to find if the improved outcomes were actually caused by the use of GLP-1 medications.
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Big Number
3. That’s how many medications have been approved by the FDA for treating alcohol use disorder in the United States. Almost 29 million people over the age of 12 have been diagnosed with the disorder.
Surprising Fact
Semaglutide is also associated with reduced incidence and relapse of cannabis use disorder, according to a study published in "Molecular Psychiatry" in March, and opioid use disorder, according to research published last month.
Key Background
Other studies have also suggested the medications could help treat addiction. In October, a study in the journal "Addiction" found alcohol addicts on the diabetes and weight loss drugs binge drank at a 50% lower rate than other addicts in the study, and that people with opioid use disorder had a 40% lower rate of opioid overdose. Several clinical trials are underway to discover why GLP-1 users with disorders and addiction report diminished cravings, though scientists have suggested a theory that the medications may interact with parts of the brain that produce dopamine—also known as the “feel-good hormone,” which has been linked to addiction—in a way that makes the dopamine effects of drugs and alcohol less intense. Along with addition, the drugs have shown promise in treating other conditions like cancer, Alzheimer’s, COVID-19, heart disease, liver disease, Parkinson’s and sleep apnea.
