Weight Loss Medications May Reduce Alcohol and Opioid Consumption

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Yet another study shows that blockbuster GLP-1 drugs may offer health benefits beyond diabetes and weight loss.

This time, more research shows that they can significantly curb addictive behaviors.

drugs like NordiskThe wildly popular diabetes shot Ozempic can cut drug and alcohol abuse by about half, according to a new study published last week in the scientific journal Addiction. This suggests that Ozempic and similar medications could potentially become a new treatment for opioid and alcohol use disorder.

“This study not only contributes to the changing landscape of substance use therapy, but also opens avenues for more comprehensive and effective treatment strategies for those affected by” the two disorders, the study authors wrote.

Here's why that's important.

More tools are needed to address the current U.S. opioid epidemic, which was declared a public health emergency in 2017. In 2021, an estimated 2.5 million people ages 18 and older in the U.S. suffered from opioid use disorder last year, but only 22% received medication to treat it, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Opioids are a factor in about 72% of overdose deaths in the United States, according to the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics.

Meanwhile, nearly 29 million people ages 12 and older suffered from an alcohol use disorder last year, according to a 2023 national survey. Binge drinking is the leading preventable cause of death in the U.S. About 178,000 people die from it each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Let's delve into the new data.

Researchers at Loyola University Chicago examined electronic health data of more than 500,000 people with a history of opioid use disorder, 8,000 of whom were taking GLP-1 or similar treatments called GIP, such as Eli LillyMounjaro slimming treatment. Mounjaro mimics GLP-1 and another gut hormone called GIP to reduce appetite and regulate blood sugar, while Ozempic only targets GLP-1.

People who took GLP-1 or GIP had a 40% lower rate of opioid overdose compared to those who did not, the study found. Similarly, an analysis of more than 5,000 people with a history of alcohol use disorder who took these treatments had a 50% lower rate of intoxication compared to those who did not take them.

The results are not a surprise. It is consistent with other studies showing the potential of GLP-1 and GIPs to reduce substance-seeking behaviors such as alcohol and nicotine use. Other research has also shown promise in treating kidney failure, fatty liver disease, Alzheimer's disease, and obstructive sleep apnea.

Wegovy, Novo Nordisk's weight-loss drug, also won approval in the United States in March to reduce the risk of serious cardiovascular complications in adults with obesity and heart disease.

But more research is likely needed to confirm the new study's findings. Researchers have called for more clinical trials that randomly assign patients with a substance use disorder to receive GLP-1 or a placebo, to confirm the potential treatment benefits of medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro.

We will continue to monitor what other investigations in this area emerge, so stay tuned for our coverage.

Feel free to send any tips, suggestions, story ideas, and facts to Annika at [email protected].

I'm Ashley, reporting live from Las Vegas.

I spent the last few days on the exhibit floor at the healthcare technology conference called HLTH. Companies like Microsoft, Nvidia, Amazon, Google and more than 12,000 other industry leaders gathered there this year.

This was my second time attending, and while it's ironic to walk through smoky casinos to attend meetings about the future of healthcare, it's a useful way to gauge what technologies the industry is excited about.

As I predicted in my coverage on Sunday, generative AI dominated my discussions, just as it did last year. However, the focus was less on the promise or potential of the technology and more on the practical, short-term use cases of the technology. If you're still skeptical about whether healthcare systems are taking AI seriously, the answer is undoubtedly yes.

Vendors want AI tools that generate real returns for their organization, both from a cost savings and efficiency standpoint. They are not willing to wait long to start seeing results. Vendors are also looking for guidance on how to effectively evaluate and implement the hundreds of solutions that have burst onto the market. And investors are asking tougher questions about what a viable business model for a healthcare AI company actually looks like.

Much attention was paid to how AI could help reduce the mountains of documentation that doctors and nurses are responsible for, which is a leading cause of burnout in the industry. This has been a hot topic all year, so it wasn't a surprise to me. Microsoft, Google, GE HealthCare and Amazon introduced new tools to address the problem, for example.

“Primary care has always been plagued by administrative tasks. This is pervasive in healthcare, but it is especially acute in primary care,” Dr. Andrew Diamond, chief medical officer of Amazon's primary care business, One, told CNBC. Medical. “AI holds great promise for automating or optimizing a lot of that work.”

But while AI for management burnout was certainly popular, other themes began to emerge as well. There was a lot of talk, for example, about AI agents, which can help users answer questions, automate processes and perform specific tasks. Several companies are also working on artificial intelligence tools that can help identify and optimize clinical trials relevant to patients. Microsoft and GE HealthCare announced early-stage tools in these areas.

AI isn't going to change the industry overnight, but I'm told time and time again that innovation is happening quickly, especially by healthcare standards, which has a reputation for being slow to deliver. adopt new technologies.

These companies are trying to tackle complex problems, but there was a real sense of optimism in the room. Vendors, big tech companies and startups seem to agree that AI is here to stay and clearly intend to use it.

Please feel free to send any tips, suggestions, story ideas, or information to Ashley at [email protected].