GLP-1 pill can reduce heavy drinking in adults who have a problem with alcohol, study finds

Taking popular semaglutide weight-loss pills are effective at reducing heavy drinking in people with chronic alcohol use disorder, a new study has found. Roughly 27 million American adults currently suffer from the condition, which leaves people at an increased risk of liver disease, cancer and premature death. Treating the disorder, also known as AUD or alcoholism, can be difficult to manage and no new medications have been approved for AUD in nearly two decades. These pills could help provide a new avenue for treatment, the study’s authors said. “This study suggests oral semaglutide may help reduce heavy and harmful drinking, even in people who are not trying to quit alcohol entirely,” Joseph Schacht, an associate professor at the CU Anschutz School of Medicine, explained in a statement. “It could represent a new treatment option for AUD, particularly for those who have not benefited from existing medications, and may reduce alcohol-related health and social harms,” he said. Could weight loss pills help people struggling with alcohol use disorder? A new study shows hopeful results (Getty)While past research has uncovered a similar link for semaglutide shots, taking semaglutide orally might be a more acceptable method for people with AUD. That’s because AUD can lead to chronic dehydration and damage veins, making injections more difficult. In the trial, the oral medication was generally well tolerated among AUD patients who took the pills for eight weeks, the researchers said, with only mild side effects reported. One patient taking semaglutide developed a rash often seen after taking drugs.It’s unclear what medication the patients were given, but Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy pill and Eli Lilly’s Foundayo are both approved by the FDA.Others were given a placebo and neither patients nor researchers knew who was getting the real treatment and who was getting the placebo.The AUD patients on oral semaglutide saw fewer heavy drinking days, reduced consumption when they drank, lower cravings and reduced use of cannabis, as well.Roughly 27 million Americans suffer from an alcohol use disorder (Getty)Larger and longer-term studies are needed to confirm these findings, and the researchers say they are planning to conduct larger trials soon. Future research could help determine optimal dosing and treatment strategies for AUD.Current treatment for AUD includes behavioral therapy and motivation-based therapy - but just three medications are federally approved. Those medications include disulfiram, which causes unpleasant flushing and nausea when drinking, naltrexone that helps to reduce cravings and acamprosate that acts similarly. Naltrexone was the last medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2006.These treatments are helpful, but overcoming AUD is an ongoing process, according to the National Institutes of Health. Many people relapse. Unfortunately, AUD can also harm people’s personal lives, straining or breaking relationships with family and friends.“For families, even modest reductions in heavy drinking can mean greater stability, fewer crises and improved quality of life,” noted Schacht.