EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14\/CBS4) \u2014 Medications best known for helping people lose weight and manage diabetes may also be associated with significantly lower rates of substance use disorders, according to new research from The University of Texas at El Paso. <\/p>\n
The study<\/a>, published in “Frontiers in Psychiatry”, found that patients taking glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) medications \u2014 including widely used drugs such as Ozempic \u2014 were substantially less likely to develop alcohol, opioid, nicotine and cocaine use disorders than similar patients who were not prescribed the medications.<\/p>\n Researchers analyzed more than 142,000 patient cases involving individuals with obesity or Type 2 diabetes, according to the study. <\/p>\n Approximately 20,000 of those patients had been prescribed GLP-1 medications. The research team compared outcomes between GLP-1 users and matched patients who were not taking the drugs, the study stated. <\/p>\n The findings revealed striking differences. Patients taking GLP-1 medications showed:<\/p>\n 74% lower odds of alcohol use disorder69% lower odds of opioid use disorder68% lower odds of nicotine use disorder75% lower odds of cocaine use disorder<\/p>\n The study was led by UTEP School of Pharmacy researchers Dr. Tadesse Abegaz and Dr. Gabriel Frietze.<\/p>\n “Our findings add to growing evidence that GLP-1 medications may influence more than appetite and blood sugar regulation,” said Abegaz, the study’s lead author. “These medications appear to affect brain pathways involved in reward and craving, which could help explain the lower rates of substance use disorders observed in our study.”<\/p>\n GLP-1 medications were originally developed to treat obesity and diabetes by regulating blood sugar levels and reducing appetite. However, scientists have increasingly explored whether the drugs also affect dopamine signaling and other neural pathways associated with cravings and reward-seeking behavior.<\/p>\n Despite the promising results, the researchers caution that the study does not prove that GLP-1 medications directly prevent addiction or substance misuse.<\/p>\n “We do not support prescribing these medications for addiction treatment at this time,” Frietze said. “Because this was an observational study in a specific clinical population, randomized clinical trials are needed before GLP-1 medications can be recommended for treating addiction.”<\/p>\n The researchers plan to continue investigating the relationship between GLP-1 therapies and substance use behaviors through prospective studies that follow patients after they begin treatment, according to the study. <\/p>\n “Our next goal is to conduct prospective research that follows individuals initiating GLP-1 therapy over time,” Abegaz said. “We aim to evaluate whether changes in substance use behaviors occur after treatment begins and whether these changes relate to improvements in mental health and quality of life.”<\/p>\n