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Weight loss medicines Known as glucagon similar to peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists, who have gained popularity to treat diabetes and obesity of type 2, have been shown to have a surprising secondary benefit of reducing alcohol intake.
A team of international researchers from Ireland and Saudi Arabia followed 262 adult patients with obesity that began taking two GLP-1 drugs: lyraglutide or semaglutide.
Among regular drinks, weekly alcohol intake It decreased by 68%, with approximately 23 units of alcohol to about 8 units.
The discoveries were recently published in Diabetes, obesity and metabolism, and were presented and last week at the European Obesity Congress in Spain.
GLP-1 agonists mimic a hormone called GLP-1, which is released from gastrointestinal system After eating, according to the study co -author Carel Le Roux, a professor at the Dublin University College.
It has been shown that weight loss drugs known as glucagon agonists of peptide-1 (GLP-1) have a surprising secondary benefit of reducing alcohol intake. (East)
These drugs activate GLP-1 brain receptors, reducing the sense of “reward” that people feel after eating or drinking, which eventually led to reduced craving for both food and alcohol, he told Fox News Digital.
“It is this common function that suggests that GLP-1 brain receptors can be a therapeutic goal not only because of obesity disease, but also because of the disorder of alcohol use,” said the professor.
Findings of study
Before the participants started weight loss medication, they just reported their weekly alcohol intakeThen they are categorized as drinks, rare drinks or regular drinks.
About 72% had at least two follow -ups and 68% regular consumption of alcohol.
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After starting weight loss medicines, the weekly average alcohol intake of participants decreased by almost two-thirds of a total of about 11 units of alcohol on four units after four months of treatment with GLP-1 agonists.
The reduction in the use of alcohol was comparable to a reduction that can be achieved by nalmefene, a drug that reduces the feeling of “buzz” in people with alcohol use disorders in Europe, researchers say.
Among regular drinks, weekly alcohol intake decreased by 68%, with approximately 23 units of alcohol to about 8 units. (East)
For 188 patients who have followed an average of four months, none have increased alcohol intake after starting Weight loss medicines.
Patients reported that after the evening meal they were too full to drink their usual drink – and when they drank, they reported that they became full quickly and drank a more slower pace, Le Roux noted.
“The findings in this study suggest that we may have just found a therapeutic target for a disorder of alcohol use.”
This suggests that the experience was less comfortable, partly due to reduced alcohol -absorption speed.
Some patients also reported that they did not enjoy the taste alcoholic beverages How much and also that the hangovers were much worse.
All these experiences have shown that weight loss remedies create “protective straps” that prevent most patients from drinking excessively, which gives them a degree of control over their alcohol intake, Le Roux states.
After launching weight loss drugs, the weekly average alcohol intake decreased by almost two -thirds. (East)
“Findings in this study suggest that we may have just found a therapeutic goal For a disorder of the use of alcohol-re -ceptors GLP-1, “said Professor for Fox News Digital.
“This finding potentially opens the possibility of a brand new pharmacological treatment paradigm, which could be used together with conventional methods, such as behavior therapy and group support. “
Potential limitations
The study was limited by a relatively small number of patients, researchers admitted.
Also, researchers were unable to check alcohol intake, which is reported to the participants, and about one -third of them were not available for monitoring.
There was also no control group, which means that researchers could not prove that taking weight loss medication reduces alcohol intake.
The main advantage of the GLP-1 agonist is that they should only be taken once a week and continue to work all week. (East)
“Randomized, controlled tests With a variety of patients’ population – including patients diagnosed with alcohol disorders – they need to ensure the quality and amount of data that could be used to support the Licensing Application for the treatment of alcohol disorders, “said Le Roux.
(One such trial is currently in Denmark.)
Implications of study
With current drugs available to treat alcohol disorders, “the main problem” is compliance, Le Roux said – “because the craving for alcohol comes in waves.”
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“This means that the patient could fully devote herself to treatment at one point in the week, but then stop taking the medication later in the week when the craving arrives,” the professor added.
“This research suggests a promising auxiliary benefit of GLP-1 analogue, which potentially affect the craving for alcohol and offering a new Avenue Avenue to manage the use of alcohol use,” the doctor said. (East)
There are currently three drugs approved by the FDA for the treatment of alcohol disorders: Naltrekson (which helps reduce craving by reducing the “buzz” feeling that comes with drinking alcohol); Disulfiram (which helps some people avoid alcohol making them feel sick when they drink) and acamprosate (which returns balance hormones in the brain reduce craving), according to the National Institute of Alcohol and Alcoholism Institute.
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But less than 10% of people with alcohol use disorders get proper treatment, and many continued in the first year of treatment, past research shows.
The main advantage of GLP-1 agonist is that they should only be taken once a week and continue to work all week.
For 188 patients who have followed an average of four months, none have increased alcohol intake after starting weight loss medicines. (East)
External experts say that the discovery of the study emphasize the potential of weight loss medication to treat the disorder of alcohol use.
“This research suggests a promising auxiliary benefit of GLP-1 analogue, which potentially affect the craving for alcohol and offer a new Avenue Avenue to manage the use of alcohol use,” Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, Cure for obesity At the Massachusetts General Hospital and the Harvard Faculty of Medicine, which was not part of the study, they told Fox News Digital.
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“Although the exact mechanisms are still being explored, they find their contributions to our understanding of the wider benefits of GLP-1 analog beyond treatment of obesity,” Stanford added.
