A new study suggests GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy — commonly used for diabetes and weight loss — may also blunt the effects of alcohol.
That might be bad news for casual drinkers, but scientists at Virginia Tech’s Fralin Biomedical Research Institute said it could open the door to a promising new tool for people battling the bottle.
“Using a drug that’s already shown to be safe to help people reduce drinking could be a way to get people help fast,” Dr. Alex DiFeliceantonio, study co-author and interim co-director of the FBRI’s Center for Health Behaviors Research, said in a statement.
Across the US, roughly 1 in 10 adults struggle with alcohol use disorder — a medical condition that makes quitting feel nearly impossible, even when it damages relationships, jobs and health.
Long-term heavy drinking can increase the risk of serious medical problems, including high blood pressure, heart and liver disease, stroke and a weakened immune system. It’s also the third-leading preventable cause of cancer, behind tobacco use and obesity.
For the study, DiFeliceantonio and her colleagues recruited 20 obese participants in Virginia, half of whom were already taking maintenance doses of GLP-1 drugs.
