10/23/2024

Weight-loss Drugs May Help Alcohol and Opioid Addiction

These drugs could change the lives of millions

Weight-loss drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound are transforming the health of millions of people—and a new study hints that even more could benefit from the drugs’ other effects on the body.

A study published recently in the journal Addiction shows that people with substance-use disorders who take these weight-loss drugs are less likely to experience opioid overdose or alcohol intoxication compared to those not taking the medications. The findings add to a growing list of other health benefits researchers are studying related to the medications, which target hormones called incretins that affect not just appetite, digestion and diabetes, but also heart health, sleep and the brain circuits connected to satisfaction and reward.

The latest study explored the link between opioid and alcohol substance-use disorders and the new class of modern weight-loss drugs. These target either glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) hormone, or glucose dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) hormone and include semaglutide (the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy) and tirzepatide (found in Mounjaro and Zepbound). The scientists analyzed health records from more than 1.3 million people in 136 health systems across the U.S. All of the patients had either an opioid or alcohol-use disorder, and some used the weight-loss medications.

Please select this link to read the complete article from TIME.