Study shows weight-loss drugs can cut alcohol intake by almost two-thirds
Alcohol use disorder is a relapsing condition that accounts for 2.6 million deaths a year -- 4.7 per cent of all deaths globally.
Treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), therapies that aim to strengthen motivation to stop or reduce drinking, and medication can be very successful in the short term, however, 70 per cent of patients relapse within the first year.
The study showed that Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analogues -- drugs developed to treat obesity -- likely curb alcohol cravings in the brain.
Average alcohol intake decreased from 11.3 units/week to 4.3 units/week after four months of treatment with the GLP-1 analogues a reduction of almost two-thirds.
Among the regular alcohol drinkers, intake decreased from 23.2 units/week to 7.8 units/week in four months.
This reduction of 68 per cent is comparable to that achieved by nalmefene -- a drug used to treat alcohol use disorder in Europe, said Professor Carel le Roux, of University College Dublin, Ireland.
"The exact mechanism of how GLP-1 analogues reduce alcohol intake is still being investigated, but it is thought to involve curbing cravings for alcohol that arise in subcortical areas of the brain that are not under conscious control. Thus, patients report the effects are 'effortless'," Roux said.
The study, published in the journal Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, was also presented at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO 2025).
GLP-1 analogues have reduced alcohol intake in animal studies, but research on their effect in humans is less.
To find out more, the team prospectively collected data on the alcohol intake of patients who were being treated for obesity at a clinic in Dublin.
The real-world study involved 262 adults with a BMI more than 27 kilograms per square metre (kg/m2) (79 per cent female, average age 46 years, average weight 98kg) who were prescribed the GLP-1 analogs liraglutide or semaglutide for weight loss.
A total of 188 of the 262 patients were followed up for an average of four months. None of them had increased their alcohol intake.
"GLP-1 analogues have been shown to treat obesity and reduce the risk of multiple obesity-related complications. Now, the beneficial effects beyond obesity, such as on alcohol intake, are being actively studied, with some promising results," Roux said.
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