Weight-Loss Medications Significantly Reduce Alcohol Consumption, Study Finds in Ireland

Recent research presented at the European Congress on Obesity reveals that individuals using weight-loss medications such as liraglutide and semaglutide experience a substantial decrease in alcohol intake, lowering their consumption by nearly two-thirds over a four-month period. Published in the journal Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, the study underscores an intriguing potential secondary benefit of these drugs beyond their primary role in weight management.

Alcohol use disorder, responsible for approximately 2.6 million deaths annually worldwide, remains a significant health challenge. While treatments like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), motivational therapies, and medications have proven effective in the short term, relapse rates remain high, with about 70% of patients returning to heavy drinking within a year.

The study involved 262 adults with a BMI of 27 or higher who were prescribed GLP-1 receptor agonists, specifically liraglutide or semaglutide, for weight loss. Participants were categorized as non-drinkers, rare drinkers, or regular drinkers based on their baseline alcohol consumption. Of these, 188 were followed for an average of four months.

Results demonstrated a notable reduction in alcohol use. The average weekly intake dropped from 11.3 units to 4.3 units, representing an almost 66% decrease. Among regular drinkers, consumption fell from 23.2 to 7.8 units per week, a decline comparable to the effect of medications like nalmefene used for alcohol dependence.

Professor Carel le Roux from University College Dublin explained that although the exact mechanism is still under investigation, GLP-1 analogs are believed to reduce alcohol cravings by affecting brain regions responsible for addiction and impulse control, making the reduction in drinking feel almost effortless for patients.

While the study's limitations include its small scale, reliance on self-reported data, and lack of a control group, its strengths lie in the real-world setting and prospective data collection. The findings add to the growing evidence that GLP-1 receptor agonists not only support weight loss but may also have beneficial effects in reducing alcohol consumption, which could have significant implications for managing alcohol use disorder.

This research opens new avenues for exploring the broader therapeutic potential of obesity medications, with ongoing studies aiming to better understand these secondary effects and how they might be harnessed in clinical practice.