As the popularity of the GLP-1 medications, (originally approved for Diabetes and then for Weight Loss) rises, other benefits are being reported. This has encouraged researchers to design scientific studies to find out if these extra benefits can be scientifically confirmed.
One widely reported effect of both semaglutide (brand names Ozempic and Wegovy) and Tirzepatide (brand names Monjauro and Zepbound) is a reduction in the desire to consume alcohol – just as the desire to consume food has been conclusively confirmed.
Reportedly alcohol-related mortality is rising, making the possibility that these GLP-1 medications can be prescribed as an effective treatment for those who suffer from excessive alcohol consumption.
Preclinical studies have already provided strong evidence which support the claim that using GLP-1 medications can reduce of alcohol consumption, as well as reduce high-risk drinking behaviours .6,8,9 Animal models of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) have shown they decrease alcohol intake, and also reduce alcohol withdrawal symptoms. They hypothesize that neurotransmitter release and other neuronal activity within the mesolimbic circuitry of the brain accounts for these changes.10,11 These findings have spurred clinical investigations to evaluate the use of GLP-1 RAs in people with AUD.
https://drsobo.com/ozempic-semaglutide-helps-alcohol-and-other-addictions/
For more than a decade pharmacologist Elisabet Jerlag from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden has been studying, how Ozempic (semaglutide) can reduce alcohol consumption in rats. They have published nearly a dozen studies showing how these drugs stop binge drinking in rats and mice, prevent relapse in addicted animals, and overall decrease their alcohol consumption. Dr Jerlag says. “It’s not really surprising….We see a reduction in alcohol consumption by over 50% which is quite dramatic.” Other studies have also confirmed the effect of GLP1s being a reduction in consumption of nicotine, opioids and cocaine.
Non scientists have been sharing their experiences which documents the real world appearance of these effects. Real estate agent Meg Johnston from the D.C, area reported that during covid she gained weight and also, “I would drink out of boredom, just total boredom”. So, she began taking semaglutide– She explained, “Many days I don’t drink at all. It’s hard to explain why. Alcohol just doesn’t sound as appetizing or appealing”. Dr Lorenzo Leggio, clinical director of the National Institute of Drug Abuse explains that these diabetes/ weight loss drugs don’t just work on blood sugar. “They also work on the brain. The mechanism in the brain that regulates overeating overlaps with those responsible for the development and maintenance of addiction, including alcohol disorder.”
Neuroscientist Alexandra G. DiFeliceantonio at Virginia Tech explains that after the first bite of food a release of the brain chemical dopamine occurs. “That dopamine essentially tells you, hey do that again! Take another bite.” and you then want more. Dr DiFeliceantonio explains, dopamine in the brain’s motivation center is the learning signal for everything. “Not just for food. All addictive drugs increase dopamine “.
An extensive clinical review was done using electronic medical records aimed at evaluating whether a consistent effect may be seen between the use of GLP-1 medications and decreasing alcohol abuse disorder. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(24)00499-1/fulltext?dgcid=raven_jbs_aip_email
This scientific review consisted of six separate studies using over 88,000 patient records of which nearly 44% were prescribed GLP-1 type medication. The mean age of the participants was 50 years old. A significant association was found between receiving these medications and a lowering of alcohol consumption as well as having fewer alcohol-related negative healthcare events. Also, brain MRI studies showed that 30 days after 24 weeks of treatment, there was a significant reduction in brain reward centre reactivity that this specialized type of brain MRI could detect. The patients were said to be 29% more likely to reduce alcohol intake if they were prescribed one of these medications.
Excessive alcohol use leading to alcohol use disorder (AUD), is manifested by a loss of control over excessive alcohol consumption despite adverse consequences which occur.3 These are felt to result in relation to pathological changes in brain neurobiology, emotion and stress management. A number of dysregulated brain biological pathways have been observed such as in neurotransmitter transmission in limbic dopamine pathways, as well as by serotonin, opioid peptides, gamma-aminobutyric acid, and other pathways. Therefore the potential use of GLP-1 medications to control alcohol use disorder is due to how they interact with brain biochemistry related to cravings, reward and addiction.6 It has been shown that GLP-1 receptors are widely distributed throughout the brain in the cerebral cortex, the hypothalamus, and other areas. 7 And GLP-1 receptors are also seen in the aforementioned limbic reward pathway which is important in the neurobiology of addiction.7
There is other seemingly related evidence supporting the potential of GLP-1 RAs for the treatment of other reward system-related disorders. These documents decreased addictive behaviour relating to cocaine and nicotine, as well as for opioid use disorder. 12,13–16 https://drsobo.com/semaglutide-may-protect-people-from-opioid-overdose/
In their introduction to the published study, the authors point out that there were over 100,000 overdose deaths in 2023, mostly from opioids.1 And though there are approved medications for opioid use disorder, only about 25% of people with opioid use disorder receive them and nearly 50% discontinue treatment within 6 months. There is clearly a need for alternative treatments. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP1-RAs) like semaglutide affect the dopamine reward signaling in the brian.3 There have been many reports of reduced drug craving in individuals using semaglutide for weight control and therapeutic benefits in alcohol and nicotine use disorders seem to be occurring as well.4,5
This study included over 33, 000 patients: 3,034 were prescribed semaglutide and 29, 972 were prescribed other antidiabetic medications. Semaglutide was compared with each antidiabetic medication class used for patients with both Diabetes type 2 comorbid T2D and Opioid Use Disorder. Semaglutide was associated with a significantly lower risk of opioid overdose during a 1-year follow-up compared with other antidiabetic medications, including other GLP-1 medications.
In designing this latest study, the electronic health records of the 33,000 people were analyzed. The study subjects were prescribed semaglutide or other diabetes medications and the number of opioid overdoses which occurred over a one year period was counted. The results were that people prescribed semaglutide were less likely to overdose than people prescribed other diabetes medications. They counted 35 overdoses among over 2,600 people on semaglutide, compared with 76 people on the diabetes medication metformin. It is still not certain what property semaglutide has to produce this protective effect, but it may be that just as it controls cravings for food it also lessens cravings for opioids. This same research team is about to begin a new study whose subjects will be those with opioid use disorder. Study participants will be given semaglutide or other standard treatments for opiod disorder, and the researchers will analyze the participants ability to abstain from opioids. The same researchers are intending to study those who are addicted to stimulant substances such as amphetamines and cocaine, to assess whether semaglutide may have a biologic effect which interrupts drug cravings in general.
Pharmacoepidemiologist Serena Jingchuan Guo says that perhaps semaglutide (Wegovy) and similar medications such as Tirzepatide (Zepbound) could one day be used to prevent people from getting hooked on opioids in the first place. They could potentially be administered to patients in pain management programs who are prescribed opioids for pain to keep them from becoming addicted to the opiods that they need for pain relief. She cautions that “there are so many unknowns” and that further study is needed. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/article-abstract/2824054#google_vignette
Beyond the direct effect of reducing alcohol consumption, GLP-1 RAs are benefiting liver disease secondarily by controlling obesity and diabetes resulting in improving outcomes for those whose liver disease has both metabolic as well as an alcohol-related cause.17
One cable news report was given the headline: Diabetes and weight loss drugs shown to reduce alcohol-related hospitalizations, study finds:
Ozempic, Wegovy and other GLP-1s found to be more effective than top alcohol medications
https://apple.news/A7W HL7 TLqyQsd7yx3m4w
Other Medical Benefits of the GLP-1 Weight Loss Medications
Lower Cardiovascular Disease Risk
https://drsobo.com/reduce-risk-of-heart-problems-in-adults/John Sharretts, M.D., director of the Division of Diabetes, Lipid Disorders, and Obesity in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said, “Wegovy is now the first weight loss medication to also be approved to help prevent life-threatening cardiovascular events in adults with cardiovascular disease and either obesity or overweight. This patient population has a higher risk of cardiovascular death, heart attack and stroke. Providing a treatment option that is proven to lower this cardiovascular risk is a major advance for public health.”
Lower Dementia Risk
A Danish study of type 2 diabetics followed for five years showed that those using semaglutide had a lower occurrence of dementia. Type 2 diabetes is associated with vascular dementia which is caused by impaired blood flow to the brain due to conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes.
Cancer
Obesity is a risk factor for many types of cancers- breast, uterine, kidney, gallbladder, liver and pancreatic cancers as well as colorectal cancer. https://drsobo.com/weight-loss-injections-lower-cancer-risk/Jennie Stanford, MD an obesity medicine physician says, “I think we’re at the tip of the iceberg when it comes to understanding the benefits of the GLP-1 receptor agonists. “I think we’ll be able to see possibilities for using them in dementia, in obesity-associated cancers and other medical problems that are linked back to the same underlying mechanism.” One of the study’s authors, Lindsey Wang commented on the very large cancer risk reduction of certain cancers. “Most notably” she says, “we saw a decrease [of] significant risk across most gastrointestinal cancers.
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
There are metabolic factors involved in PCOS such as insulin resistance and pre-diabetes. Weight loss improves menstrual irregularities, restores ovulation, and improves fertility. Gynecologists around the US are prescribing these medications “off label” for PCOS. Florencia Haperin,MD says, “because these medications cause significant weight loss and improve insulin resistance, it makes sense biologically, that they would be helpful for women with PCOS.”
Kidney Disease
A study released by the company which makes Wegovy (Semaglutide) found that it reduced the occurrence of kidney problems by 22% in the overweight population studied. Professor Helen Colhoun of the University of Edinburgh says “By addressing key markers of kidney health, semaglutide…may contribute to a significant reduction in the risk of kidney-related complications, including chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease.”
