Drugs that make headlines for weight loss results can have unexpected benefits: Helping people reduce alcohol. A groundbreaking study published today in JAMA psychiatry shows that Ozempic (Semaglutide) significantly reduces alcohol consumption and cravings among adults, and they don’t even try to reduce alcohol consumption.
This discovery could provide new hope for solving one of the most pressing health challenges in the United States. An estimated 178,000 deaths a year for alcohol consumption, and nearly one-third of American adults who have problems at some point in their lives are in desperate need of effective treatments.
“These data suggest that Dr. Klara Klein of the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, senior author of the study, said: “These data suggest that Dr. Klara Klein of the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Ph.D., of the School of Medicine, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, said: ” “These data suggest that the potential of semirupee and similar drugs meets the treatment needs for alcohol use disorders,” said the report. ”
In clinical trials, researchers recruited 48 adults who did not seek treatment. Participants received weekly Ozempic injections or placebo for nine weeks each week. The results were surprising: those who received Ozempic consumed significantly less in their desire to drink and their alcohol.
Perhaps most notably, by the last month of treatment, nearly 40% of the Ozespike group had no major drinking days at all, compared with only 20% in the placebo group. This drug seems to have particularly affected how much people drink on their days of drinking, rather than how many days they choose to drink.
This is the first randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial designed to study this, noted by first author of the study, Christian Hendershot, PhD, director of clinical research at the Institute of Addiction Sciences at the University of California. A phenomenon – although doctors and patients have been reporting lowering alcohol cravings due to Ozempic’s side effects for a while.
An unexpected finding emerged among participants who smoked: people who received Ozempic also consumed significantly less daily compared to placebo, suggesting that the drug might help address multiple addictive behaviors.
The implications of this study may be profound. Currently, less than 10% of patients with alcohol use disorders are treated, while less than 2% are treated with medication due to their condition, which is one of the known medical treatment gaps. The widespread adoption of Ozempic and similar drugs for diabetes and weight loss can make treatments more accessible and reduce the stigma associated with seeking help from alcohol problems.
Importantly, the reduction in alcohol consumption occurs in relatively low doses of Ozempic, which is only a small part of the provisions commonly used for weight loss – among people who have not actively tried to reduce alcohol consumption. This suggests that drugs may work through biological mechanisms rather than conscious efforts.
The team observed that participants lost 5% of their body weight on average during the study period, which was consistent with the known effects of Ozempic. Side effects are usually mild and similar to those commonly reported by drugs.
Despite the promising findings, the researchers stressed the need for larger and longer studies. The trial was relatively small, with 48 participants and was used at a dose lower than the usual prescribed for weight loss. Optimal dose and long-term safety for people who specifically seek to reduce alcohol consumption remain problematic.
However, the results open up an interesting new area in addiction treatment. Given that alcohol use is associated with liver disease, cardiovascular disease and various cancers, as American surgeons have recently highlighted, any new tool to reduce harmful alcohol consumption may have considerable public health benefits.
“These initial findings are promising,” Dr. Klein noted, while highlighting the need for broader research into a wider population to fully understand the potential role of the drug in treating alcohol levels disorders.
The study was supported by the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and was studied at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. These findings appear in today’s Jama Psychiatry.
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