Anti-obesity drugs could help treat alcohol use disorders

Losing weight with anti-obesity drugs (AOM) also led to lower alcohol consumption in about half of the participants, according to a new study appearing in the current issue of JAMA network opened.

The research, led by Lisa Miller-Matero, PhD, an associate scientist and associate director of health services research at Henry Ford Health, adds to a growing body of research that suggests medications like Ozempic or Wegovy could be adapted to treat substance use disorders.

This differed from previous research in that we included a variety of anti-obesity medications and examined changes in alcohol consumption among people who reported occasional use. Other work has primarily looked only at glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) in individuals with substance use disorders. We also compared GLP-1 RAs with metformin and bupropion/naltrexone, which are other anti-obesity medications.”

Lisa Miller-Matero, PhD, associate scientist and associate director of health services research at Henry Ford Health

Researchers examined the drinking habits of 14,000 WeightWatchers members who began taking an AOM between January 2022 and August 2023 and refilled the same AOM between October 2023 and November 2023.

“What was exciting was that those who drank higher amounts, or even those that were considered dangerous, were more likely to reduce their alcohol consumption,” Miller-Matero said.

Before starting medication, participants were asked whether their average weekly alcohol consumption was light (1–3 drinks per week for women and 1–6 drinks per week for men), moderate (4–6 drinks per week for women and 7–14). was per week for men) or strong (7+ per week for women and 15+ per week for men). Participants updated their consumption amount again at the time of refill.

Of the approximately 7,500 participants who initially reported alcohol consumption, approximately 3,400 reported a reduction in their alcohol consumption category, with the largest decline reported by individuals originally in the moderate and heavy drinking categories. All types of AOMs were associated with reduced alcohol consumption.

“People in the WeightWatchers program who have used AOM have said, ‘I’ve been a social drinker all my life, but now I don’t crave my glass of red wine,’ or ‘I drink the same amount or less.’ “I have the worst hangover of my life,” said study lead author and WeightWatchers chief nutrition officer Michelle Cardel, PhD, RD.

Miller-Matero says further research would help determine whether the drugs led to lower alcohol consumption or whether participants changed their drinking habits because they ate fewer calories and chose healthier lifestyles.

She said the findings also warrant further research into using anti-obesity medications to treat substance use.