People report lower alcohol cravings when using semaglutide
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According to the first randomized clinical trials of drugs for this purpose, semaglutide appears to help people who are truly obsessed with alcohol reduce their intake.
Semaglutide, sold under brand names including Wegovy and Ozempic, uses the work by mimicking the intestinal hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), so the technical term is GLP-1 receptor It's an agonist. This drug was first used to treat type 2 diabetes, but to reduce appetite, Wegovy is also approved for weight loss 8 countries. Semaglutide also offers tips to help with an extraordinary number of medical conditions.
Regarding alcohol use, there was a 2024 survey that 84,000 people injected Ozempic or Wegovy because of a lower risk of alcoholism. The results were promising and showed correlation rather than causality.
But now, Christian Hendershot The University of Southern California and his colleagues completed the first randomized clinical trial of the effects of semaglutide on alcohol use disorders.
Their trial involved 48 US people diagnosed with the condition, of which 34 were women and 14 were male. Half received a weekly low-dose injection of semaglutide for 9 weeks, and the rest received a placebo injection.
Semaglutide patients no longer consumed drinks per drinking session, reducing their weekly alcohol cravings compared to placebo drinks.
“There was no evidence of any significant adverse effects or safety concerns for drugs in this population. Overall, we found that it reduces the amount of alcohol people consume across several different drinking outcomes,” Hender said. Shot says.
“The results are promising.” Long Xu at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Ohio. “Despite the small sample size, this randomized clinical trial highlights the therapeutic potential of semaglutide in the treatment of alcohol use disorders.”
ziyad al-aly At Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, the study added ” yet another evidence of GLP-1RAS . [GLP-1 receptor agonists] It could help with addiction disorders.”
He needs greater research to answer questions about whether people will increase their drinking, especially when they leave semaglutide, particularly what the long-term impact is, and whether people will increase their drinking. He says. Bone and muscle mass.
The study should be treated as a promising first evidence, says Hendershot, but more research is needed. People should not start taking semaglutide due to alcohol problems, he says.
“This is the first study like this and people are excited about it, but we have approved effective drugs for alcohol use disorders, so more research has been conducted. Until now, people are encouraged to pursue and approve the existing medicines there right now,” says Hendershot.
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Source: www.newscientist.com
