📉 In a randomized trial with 48 patients diagnosed with #AlcoholUseDisorder, semaglutide significantly lowered alcohol intake in a controlled lab setting.
🚬 Interestingly, nicotine consumption also decreased.
💉 Low doses (0.25-1 mg/week) were used over 9 weeks—much lower than standard obesity or diabetes dosing.
🔬 More research is needed, but this adds to growing evidence that GLP-1 agonists may impact addictive behaviors.
Link to article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39937469/
Recent research in JAMA and JCI Insight on repurposing GLP-1 receptor agonists, particularly semaglutide and liraglutide, for Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) shows promise.
The promising preclinical data suggests that further investigation could potentially lead to semaglutide as a viable treatment for AUD, adding to the treatment options for substance use disorders that overlap with metabolic disorders. This research is ongoing, and clinical trials may help solidify its role in AUD treatment in the future.
A recent study published in JAMA Network Open investigated the relationship between semaglutide, a medication commonly used for type 2 diabetes (T2D), and the risk of opioid overdose in patients with both T2D and opioid use disorder (OUD). The researchers analyzed the health records of over 33,000 individuals, finding that those taking semaglutide had a significantly lower risk of opioid overdose compared to those using other diabetes medications. Semaglutide reduced overdose risk by as much as 58% when compared to insulin, and by 54% compared to metformin.
The findings suggest that semaglutide may have protective effects in people with OUD and T2D, although more research is needed to confirm the mechanisms behind these effects and to validate the results through clinical trials. Researchers emphasized that these promising outcomes highlight the potential therapeutic value of semaglutide beyond diabetes management, though the study faced limitations due to its observational design and the possibility of uncontrolled variables.
Further research is required to understand how semaglutide could be integrated into treatment strategies for opioid use disorder​
I recently had a case involving a person with no prior history of mental illness who suddenly developed acute suicidal thoughts. The only recent change in their life was starting a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonist for diabetes. They reported noticeable mood changes and even suspected the medication was the cause based on their own experience. While we can’t draw any definitive conclusions about causation at this point, it’s reasonable to advise people, especially those with a psychiatric history, to carefully monitor for mood changes and suicidal thoughts when starting this type of medication.