Ozempic may have even more uses than initially thought. A new study that appeared in the scientific journal Addiction found that GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist medications, traditionally used to treat diabetes and promote weight loss, may also help people stop using drugs and drinking alcohol.
A research team used data from Oracle Health’s Real-World Data repository to conduct the study, which looked at over 1,000,000 people.
Researchers found that people with opioid use disorder (OUD) who are GLP-1 medications are 40 percent less likely to experience an overdose than people with the disorder who do not take the medication.
When it comes to alcohol use disorder (AUD), the results are even better, with an alcohol intoxication rate that’s 50 percent lower in people who take Ozempic. (To be clear, the data measured the number of “alcohol intoxication events” rather than alcohol consumption itself.)
Ozempic and other GLP-1 RAs interact with the brain’s mesolimbic system to reduce appetite and trigger satisfaction after eating. The mesolimbic system also overlaps with the brain processes that govern addictive behaviors—which suggests that the medications may alter the reward-response pathways associated with substance use, as the study found.
All told, the study looked at 500,000 people with OUD and upwards of 800,000 people with AUD. Researchers say it could introduce a promising new treatment for addicts, especially for people with existing metabolic disorders who might otherwise benefit from GLP-1 agonists.
In 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that opioids accounted for almost 75 percent of all drug overdose deaths. Additionally, the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that nearly 29 million people over the age of 12 had AUD in the preceding year.
The post Ozempic May Fight Alcohol and Opioid Addiction, Study Suggests appeared first on VICE.
The post Ozempic May Fight Alcohol and Opioid Addiction, Study Suggests appeared first on VICE.
