GLP-1 agonists, a class of medications primarily used for diabetes and obesity, have shown an unexpected potential to reduce alcohol consumption, according to a new study. Researchers from Ireland and Saudi Arabia conducted a study on 262 adult patients with obesity who were prescribed either liraglutide or semaglutide. The results demonstrated that weekly alcohol intake among regular drinkers decreased significantly, with a reduction of nearly 68% from approximately 23 units of alcohol to about 8 units. This finding adds to the growing body of evidence indicating that these weight-loss medications may have broader applications beyond their current uses.
The study, published in the journal Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, was presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Spain. According to the research, GLP-1 agonists mimic a hormone called GLP-1, which is released by the gastrointestinal system after eating. These medications activate GLP-1 receptors in the brain, which are responsible for reducing the sense of reward associated with eating or drinking. This mechanism may explain why patients who took the drugs reported reduced cravings for both food and alcohol. “It is this commonality of function that suggests the GLP-1 receptors in the brain may be a therapeutic target for not just the disease of obesity, but also for alcohol use disorder,” said study co-author Carel Le Roux, a professor at University College Dublin.
Before starting the treatment, participants were asked to self-report their weekly alcohol intake and were categorized as non-drinkers, rare drinkers, or regular drinkers. Around 68% of the participants were regular drinkers, and approximately 72% had follow-up visits. After four months of treatment, the weekly alcohol intake of these patients decreased from about 11 units to just four units. The researchers compared this reduction to the effect of nalmefene, a drug used to treat alcohol use disorder in Europe, and found that the reduction was comparable. However, they emphasized that the results need to be validated through randomized, controlled trials, as this study lacked a control group.
The potential of GLP-1 agonists to treat alcohol use disorder is particularly significant given the challenges in managing this condition. Currently, only three FDA-approved medications are available for treating alcohol use disorder, and less than 10% of those affected receive proper treatment. The study’s authors argue that the convenience of once-weekly dosing could improve adherence to treatment, which is a major issue in managing alcohol use disorder. Despite the promising findings, the researchers acknowledged limitations, including the study’s small sample size and the lack of verification of self-reported alcohol intake. They called for further research to explore the long-term effects of these medications on alcohol consumption and to determine their efficacy in treating alcohol use disorder.