Michael Monostra , 2025-05-12 15:42:00
Key takeaways:
- Adults using liraglutide or semaglutide had significantly reduced alcohol intake at a mean 112 days of treatment.
- More studies are needed to assess GLP-1s as a potential therapy for alcohol use disorder.
GLP-1s may help reduce alcohol intake among adults with overweight or obesity, according to data presented at the European Congress on Obesity.
Researchers conducted a prospective single-center cohort study of adults with a BMI of 27 kg/m2 or higher using liraglutide (Victoza/Saxenda, Novo Nordisk) or semaglutide (Ozempic/Wegovy, Novo Nordisk). A significant reduction in alcohol intake was observed at follow-up compared with baseline, including among adults who were considered high alcohol consumers and drank more than 11 U alcohol per week at the start of the study.
Infographic content for Almohaileb FI, et al. Poster Abstract 1291. Presented at: European Congress on Obesity, May 11-14, 2025; Malaga, Spain.
“The discovery that GLP-1s significantly reduce alcohol intake is extremely important because there is currently no effective treatment for alcohol use disorder, which is a major public health problem,” Carel W. le Roux, MD, PhD, professor of chemical pathology at the University College Dublin School of Medicine, told Healio. “This research points to a potentially new pharmacological treatment paradigm for alcohol use disorder, which could yield enormous benefits for society.”
Carel W. le Roux
Researchers obtained data from 262 adults who began using liraglutide or semaglutide from January 2023 to March 2024 and had at least two follow-up visits after GLP-1 initiation (mean age, 46 years; 79% women). The primary outcome was change in alcohol intake from baseline to follow-up. A secondary outcome was change in body weight.
The findings were originally published in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism in January.
Of the study group, 68.3% reported regular alcohol consumption before using a GLP-1, 19.8% said they rarely consumed alcohol and 11.8% reported they did not drink alcoholic beverages.
There were 188 adults who attended at least two follow-up visits, with the second follow-up occurring a mean 112 days after GLP-1 initiation. Alcohol intake dropped from a mean 11.8 U per week at baseline to 4.3 U per week at the second follow-up (P < .001).
Among those who consumed 11 U alcohol or more per week at baseline, alcohol intake decreased from 23.2 U per week at baseline to 7.8 U per week at follow-up (P < .001). Adults who reported drinking less than 11 U per week at baseline had a decrease in alcohol intake from 5.5 U per week at the start of GLP-1 therapy to 2.5 U per week at follow-up (P < .001). Change in alcohol intake was similar for men and women.
Of 181 adults with data available, mean weight loss was 7.7 kg at the second follow-up visit, with a similar weight reduction observed between men and women. A weak positive correlation was seen between the reduction in alcohol intake and weight loss (r = 0.24).
Le Roux said a direct comparison cannot be made between GLP-1s and currently available medications for alcohol use disorder, but GLP-1s could be better than other drugs at helping patients control alcohol use.
“GLP-1s provide guardrails for patients by reducing their desire, lowering their threshold for nausea, forcing them to drink at a slower pace and exacerbating the hangover, thereby creating a negative feedback loop in which the patient can continue to drink but simply doesn’t do so excessively,” le Roux said. “This would make treatment for alcohol use disorder far more attractive and increase compliance. It could also be expected to increase compliance with adjunctive treatments such as behavioral and motivational therapy.”
Le Roux said the findings need to be validated through randomized controlled trials, especially a trial enrolling adults with alcohol use disorder. Research assessing mechanisms and long-term outcomes are also needed, according to le Roux.
Reference:
O’Farrell M, et al. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2025;doi:10.1111/dom.16152.
For more information:
Carel W. le Roux, MD, PhD, can be reached at carel.leroux@nmh.ie.
Sources/Disclosures
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Almohaileb FI, et al. Poster Abstract 1291. Presented at: European Congress on Obesity, May 11-14, 2025; Malaga, Spain.
Disclosures:
Le Roux reports being a shareholder for the My Best Weight clinic and Beyond BMI clinic. Please see the study for all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.
