Latest news with #KlaraKlein
Euronews
13-02-2025
- Health
- Euronews
Blockbuster weight loss drugs could help with alcohol cravings, small new study suggests
Medications that have transformed the treatment of obesity may also help people drink less alcohol, according to new research. The study was small – just 48 adults – and lasted just over two months, so it's not the final word. Experts say it's not yet clear how safe these drugs are for people who don't need to lose weight. But the results add to evidence from animal studies and reports that people are finding blockbuster weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy helpful to manage cravings, not just for food, but also for tobacco and alcohol. Scientists are studying these drugs in smokers, people with opioid addiction, and cocaine users. 'This is such promising data. And we need more of it,' said study co-author Dr Klara Klein of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the US, who treats patients with diabetes and obesity. 'We frequently will hear that once people start these medications that their desire to drink is very reduced, if not completely abolished'. The drugs, known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, work by mimicking hormones in the gut and the brain to regulate appetite and feelings of fullness. The new study looked at one of these drugs, semaglutide, which is the drug in Ozempic and Wegovy. The research, published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, was funded by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH). Several other medications are already approved to treat alcohol use disorder, so until larger studies can confirm the findings, people should talk to their doctor about what's already available, said lead author Christian Hendershot, an addiction researcher at the University of Southern California in the US. How the study was run For the new study, researchers recruited people who reported symptoms of alcohol use disorder, such as difficulty controlling their drinking, but weren't actively seeking treatment for it. First, each person came to a lab where they were served their favourite alcoholic beverage and could drink as much as they wanted over two hours. Then, researchers randomly assigned half the people to get a weekly injection of semaglutide. The other half got sham injections. For nine weeks, everyone kept track of their drinking habits and their desire for alcohol. A lab visit with their favourite alcohol was repeated at the end of the study. During the last weeks of the study, nearly 40 per cent in the semaglutide group reported no heavy drinking days compared with 20 per cent in the placebo group. And in the final lab test, the semaglutide group drank roughly half the amount, on average, compared to those who got the placebo. Everyone in the study was overweight. It's unclear how safe the drugs would be for a person of normal weight, Klein said. Impact of semaglutide on other addictions Smokers in the study who got the semaglutide also cut back on cigarettes, noted Luba Yammine of UTHealth Houston in the US, who is leading other research on GLP-1 drugs for people who want to quit smoking. The finding is promising but more data is needed, Yammine said. The study 'provides additional important information on the potential role of this new class of medications' in treating certain addictions, said Dr Lorenzo Leggio, an NIH researcher who is leading another study on semaglutide for alcohol use disorder. 'It is important to keep in mind that we need larger randomised clinical trials to confirm these findings,' Leggio said.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Ozempic shows some promise for alcohol use disorder
By Nancy Lapid (Reuters) - Novo Nordisk's blockbuster GLP-1 diabetes drug Ozempic led to improvements in some measures of alcohol use disorder in a small trial, researchers reported on Wednesday. The 48 participants in the nine-week trial all had moderately severe alcohol use disorder and were given either once-weekly Ozempic or a placebo. Ahead of the trial, they were invited to drink their preferred alcoholic beverages over a two-hour period in a comfortable setting. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. In a second drinking session at the end of the trial, participants who received treatment with Ozempic consumed significantly less alcohol than at the first session, which was not the case for the placebo group, according to results published in JAMA Psychiatry. While Ozempic significantly reduced participants' weekly alcohol cravings, there was no significant difference between the groups in reductions in drinking days. And the number of drinks per day, averaged over the total number of days in the study, was reduced to a similar extent in both groups. But when averaging the number of drinks only on the days alcohol was consumed, the reduction was greater in the Ozempic group. And over time, there was a greater reduction in heavy drinking days -- defined as four or more drinks for women and five or more for men -- in the Ozempic group. The results suggest the potential of semaglutide – the main ingredient in Ozempic and Novo's higher-dose weight-loss drug Wegovy – and similar drugs 'to fill an unmet need for the treatment of alcohol use disorder,' study leader Klara Klein of the University of North Carolina School of Medicine said in a statement. The popular newer diabetes and weight loss drugs are being tested for several additional health issues, such as cardiovascular protection and sleep apnea. 'Larger and longer studies in broader populations are needed," Klein said of the alcohol abuse study. "But these initial findings are promising.'
Los Angeles Times
12-02-2025
- Health
- Los Angeles Times
Could obesity drugs help with alcohol cravings? New study suggests potential
Medications that have transformed the treatment of obesity may also help people drink less alcohol, according to new government-funded research. The study was small — just 48 adults — and lasted just over two months, so it's not the final word. Experts say it's not yet clear how safe these drugs are for people who don't need to lose weight. But the results add to evidence from animal studies and reports that people are finding drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy helpful to manage cravings, not just for food, but also for tobacco and alcohol. Scientists are studying these drugs in smokers, people with opioid addiction and cocaine users. 'This is such promising data. And we need more of it,' said study co-author Klara Klein of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a doctor who treats patients with diabetes and obesity. 'We frequently will hear that once people start these medications ... their desire to drink is very reduced, if not completely abolished.' The drugs, known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, work by mimicking hormones in the gut and the brain to regulate appetite and feelings of fullness. The new study looked at one of these drugs, semaglutide, which is the drug in Ozempic and Wegovy. The research, published Wednesday in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, was funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, part of the National Institutes of Health. There are already three medications approved to treat alcohol use disorder, so until larger studies can confirm the findings, people should talk to their doctor about what's already available, said lead author Christian Hendershot, an addiction researcher at USC. For the new study, researchers recruited people who reported symptoms of alcohol use disorder, such as difficulty controlling their drinking, but weren't actively seeking treatment for it. First, each person came to a lab where they were served their favorite alcoholic beverage and could drink as much as they wanted over two hours. Then, researchers randomly assigned half the people to get a weekly injection of semaglutide. The other half got sham injections. For nine weeks, everyone kept track of their drinking habits and their desire for alcohol. A lab visit with their favorite alcohol was repeated at the end of the study. During the last weeks of the study, nearly 40% in the semaglutide group reported no heavy drinking days compared with 20% in the placebo group. And in the final lab test, the semaglutide group drank roughly half the amount, on average, compared with those who got the placebo. Everyone in the study was overweight. It's unclear how safe the drugs would be for a person of normal weight, Klein said. Smokers in the study who got the semaglutide also cut back on cigarettes, noted Luba Yammine of UTHealth Houston, who is leading other research on GLP-1 drugs for people who want to quit smoking. The finding is promising but more data are needed, Yammine said. The study 'provides additional important information on the potential role of this new class of medications' in treating certain addictions, said Dr. Lorenzo Leggio, an NIH researcher who is leading an ongoing 20-week trial of semaglutide for alcohol use disorder in Baltimore. 'It is important to keep in mind that we need larger randomized clinical trials to confirm these findings,' Leggio said. Johnson writes for the Associated Press. The AP Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Reuters
12-02-2025
- Health
- Reuters
Ozempic shows some promise for alcohol use disorder
Feb 12 (Reuters) - Novo Nordisk's ( opens new tab blockbuster GLP-1 diabetes drug Ozempic led to improvements in some measures of alcohol use disorder in a small trial, researchers reported on Wednesday. The 48 participants in the nine-week trial all had moderately severe alcohol use disorder and were given either once-weekly Ozempic or a placebo. Ahead of the trial, they were invited to drink their preferred alcoholic beverages over a two-hour period in a comfortable setting. In a second drinking session at the end of the trial, participants who received treatment with Ozempic consumed significantly less alcohol than at the first session, which was not the case for the placebo group, according to results published in JAMA Psychiatry, opens new tab. While Ozempic significantly reduced participants' weekly alcohol cravings, there was no significant difference between the groups in reductions in drinking days. And the number of drinks per day, averaged over the total number of days in the study, was reduced to a similar extent in both groups. But when averaging the number of drinks only on the days alcohol was consumed, the reduction was greater in the Ozempic group. And over time, there was a greater reduction in heavy drinking days -- defined as four or more drinks for women and five or more for men -- in the Ozempic group. The results suggest the potential of semaglutide – the main ingredient in Ozempic and Novo's higher-dose weight-loss drug Wegovy – and similar drugs 'to fill an unmet need for the treatment of alcohol use disorder,' study leader Klara Klein of the University of North Carolina School of Medicine said in a statement. The popular newer diabetes and weight loss drugs are being tested for several additional health issues, such as cardiovascular protection and sleep apnea. 'Larger and longer studies in broader populations are needed," Klein said of the alcohol abuse study. "But these initial findings are promising.'
The Independent
12-02-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Could obesity drugs help with alcohol cravings? New study suggests potential
Medications that have transformed the treatment of obesity may also help people drink less alcohol, according to new government-funded research. The study was small — just 48 adults — and lasted just over two months, so it's not the final word. Experts say it's not yet clear how safe these drugs are for people who don't need to lose weight. But the results add to evidence from animal studies and reports that people are finding drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy helpful to manage cravings, not just for food, but also for tobacco and alcohol. Scientists are studying these drugs in smokers, people with opioid addiction and cocaine users. 'This is such promising data. And we need more of it,' said study co-author Dr. Klara Klein, of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, who treats patients with diabetes and obesity. 'We frequently will hear that once people start these medications that their desire to drink is very reduced, if not completely abolished." The drugs, known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, work by mimicking hormones in the gut and the brain to regulate appetite and feelings of fullness. The new study looked at one of these drugs, semaglutide, which is the drug in Ozempic and Wegovy. The research, published Wednesday in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, was funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, part of the National Institutes of Health. There are already three medications approved to treat alcohol use disorder, so until larger studies can confirm the findings, people should talk to their doctor about what's already available, said lead author Christian Hendershot, an addiction researcher at University of Southern California. For the new study, researchers recruited people who reported symptoms of alcohol use disorder, such as difficulty controlling their drinking, but weren't actively seeking treatment for it. First, each person came to a lab where they were served their favorite alcoholic beverage and could drink as much as they wanted over two hours. Then, researchers randomly assigned half the people to get a weekly injection of semaglutide. The other half got sham injections. For nine weeks, everyone kept track of their drinking habits and their desire for alcohol. A lab visit with their favorite alcohol was repeated at the end of the study. During the last weeks of the study, nearly 40% in the semaglutide group reported no heavy drinking days compared with 20% in the placebo group. And in the final lab test, the semaglutide group drank roughly half the amount, on average, compared to those who got the placebo. Everyone in the study was overweight. It's unclear how safe the drugs would be for a person of normal weight, Klein said. Smokers in the study who got the semaglutide also cut back on cigarettes, noted Luba Yammine of UTHealth Houston, who is leading other research on GLP-1 drugs for people who want to quit smoking. The finding is promising but more data is needed, Yammine said. The study 'provides additional important information on the potential role of this new class of medications' in treating certain addictions, said Dr. Lorenzo Leggio, an NIH researcher who is leading a 20-week trial of semaglutide for alcohol use disorder now underway in Baltimore. 'It is important to keep in mind that we need larger randomized clinical trials to confirm these findings,' Leggio said. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
