Scientists are learning more about the strange effects of Ozempic and similar GLP-1 drugs on alcohol use. New research shows that these obesity and diabetes medications might actually change how our bodies handle booze.<\/p>\n
Virginia Tech researchers conducted the study, which tracked how GLP-1 users processed alcohol immediately after downing several drinks. Compared to non\u2013GLP-1 users, the researchers found that those taking GLP-1s saw their blood alcohol levels rise more slowly and reported feeling less intoxicated overall. The findings appear to provide some insight into why GLP-1 drugs have shown promise as a treatment for alcohol use disorder.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese data provide preliminary evidence that GLP-1RAs could act through peripheral mechanisms to suppress alcohol intake,\u201d the authors wrote in their paper, published<\/a> Wednesday in Scientific Reports.<\/p>\n A surprising loss of craving <\/p>\n Semaglutide (the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy) and other GLP-1 drugs have changed the field of obesity treatment in recent years. They\u2019ve proven to be far more effective<\/a> at helping people lose weight than diet and exercise alone. Some doctors and GLP-1 users have also reported that these drugs seem to reduce cravings for things besides food as well, including potentially addictive drugs like opioids, cocaine, and alcohol. Several<\/a>\u00a0early<\/a>\u00a0studies<\/a> have begun to support these observations, too.<\/p>\n Intriguing as all this is, there\u2019s still a lot we don\u2019t know about how and why these drugs may actually work to reduce people\u2019s cravings for substances like alcohol. So researchers at Virginia Tech\u2019s Fralin Biomedical Research Institute (FBRI) were interested in studying the immediate effects of alcohol on people taking GLP-1s.<\/p>\n They recruited 20 participants living with obesity (a body mass index over 30) for their small study. Half of the volunteers were taking one of three GLP-1 medications\u2014semaglutide, tirzepatide, or liraglutide\u2014while the other half weren\u2019t on any of these drugs. Then the researchers got them drunk\u2014in a controlled setting, of course.<\/p>\n The volunteers were asked to drink three alcoholic beverages over the course of an hour, and then they were monitored for up to four hours in a recovery room. Throughout this experiment, the volunteers had their blood alcohol, glucose, and vital signs, such as blood pressure, measured regularly.<\/p>\n The researchers gave the volunteers enough alcohol to raise their blood alcohol concentration to 0.08% by the end of the drinking period\u2014the legal limit for driving in most of the U.S. But though both groups did roughly reach that same endpoint, the GLP-1 users saw their blood alcohol level rise more slowly on average, the researchers found. What\u2019s more, the GLP-1 users also reported feeling less drunk subjectively during the experiment and reported having less of a craving for alcohol in general before and after the trial.<\/p>\n The findings suggest that GLP-1s can change the speed at which alcohol enters the bloodstream, the researchers say, possibly through slowed gastric emptying from the stomach, a known GLP-1 effect. This slower introduction can then make alcohol less potentially addictive.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy would this matter? Faster-acting drugs have a higher abuse potential,\u201d said study author Alex DiFeliceantonio, assistant professor and interim co-director of the\u00a0FBRI\u2019s Center for Health Behaviors Research, in a statement<\/a> from the university. \u201cThey have a different impact on the brain. So if GLP-1s slow alcohol entering the bloodstream, they could reduce the effects of alcohol and help people drink less.\u201d<\/p>\n More to learn <\/p>\n The researchers do note their work should be viewed as a pilot study, meaning more studies are needed to confirm the team\u2019s findings. Some research has also indicated<\/a> that GLP-1s can also directly affect the brain\u2019s reward system linked to alcohol and other drug use, possibly providing another way these medications can temper our cravings.<\/p>\n