Recent research funded by the government suggests that medications revolutionizing obesity treatment may also reduce alcohol cravings. Although the study involved only 48 adults over two months, it provides initial evidence supporting a broader therapeutic potential for these drugs. While the safety of using these drugs in individuals without a weight issue remains uncertain, the implications are worth exploring.
The drugs in question, known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, include well-known names like Ozempic and Wegovy. Primarily aimed at regulating appetite and inducing feelings of fullness, these medications are now being observed for their effectiveness in managing cravings beyond food, extending to substances like tobacco and alcohol.
Dr. Klara Klein from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, who co-authored the study, remarked on the promising nature of the findings. We frequently hear that once people start these medications, their desire to drink is very reduced, if not completely abolished. This sentiment echoes reports analyzing similar effects on smokers and users of opioids and cocaine.
Published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, the study was backed by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, part of the NIH. Lead author Christian Hendershot, an addiction researcher at the University of Southern California, emphasizes caution, noting that existing medications for alcohol use disorder remain pivotal until more extensive studies verify these results.
The study selected participants displaying symptoms of alcohol use disorder without seeking active treatment. In an introductory lab session, participants were allowed to consume their favorite alcoholic beverage freely for two hours. Subsequently, the cohort was divided, with one half receiving weekly semaglutide injections and the other half receiving placebo injections.
Over the nine-week period, participants monitored their alcohol consumption and craving levels. Concluding the trial, a final lab session mirrored the initial scenario. The results were noteworthy: nearly 40% of those receiving semaglutide reported no episodes of heavy drinking, compared to 20% in the placebo group. Furthermore, the semaglutide group consumed significantly less alcohol in the final lab session.
All participants were overweight, raising questions about the drugs' safety for individuals with normal weight. However, the findings are particularly intriguing, given that smokers receiving semaglutide also reduced cigarette consumption, as observed by Luba Yammine from UTHealth Houston, who conducts research on GLP-1 drugs for smoking cessation.
Dr. Lorenzo Leggio, an NIH researcher launching a 20-week trial on semaglutide's effects on alcohol use disorder in Baltimore, highlights the necessity for larger randomized clinical trials to confirm these preliminary insights. This study provides additional important information on the potential role of this new class of medications in treating certain addictions, he stated.
While the current findings open a promising avenue for addiction treatment using obesity drugs, experts urge patience and further investigation to ensure safety and effectiveness across a broader spectrum of patients.
