Patients taking liraglutide or semaglutide for weight loss report their alcohol intake dropping with the pounds—by as much as two thirds, according to research presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity. Among regular drinkers, drinking decreased from 23.2 units a week to 7.8 units a week, a drop in line with specialized addiction-treating drugs.
"The exact mechanism of how GLP-1 analogues reduce alcohol intake is still being investigated but it is thought to involve curbing cravings for alcohol that arise in subcortical areas of the brain that are not under conscious control," writes Professor Carel le Roux, of University College Dublin, leading the study. "Thus, patients report the effects are 'effortless'."
The real-world study involved 262 adults with a BMI ≥27 kg/m² (79% female, average age 46 years, average weight 98kg/15 stone 6lb) who were prescribed the GLP-1 analogues liraglutide or semaglutide for weight loss. The patients were categorised into non-drinkers (n=31, 11.8%) rare drinkers (<10 units/week, n=52 19.8%) and regular drinkers (>10 units/week, n=179, 68.4%) based on their self-reported alcohol intake before they started taking the weight-loss drugs. 188 of the 262 patients were followed-up for an average 4 of months. None of them had increased their alcohol intake. Average alcohol intake decreased from 11.3 units/week to 4.3 units/week after 4 months of treatment with the GLP-1 analogues – a reduction of almost two-thirds.
Alcohols are calories too, my friend.
Previously:
• Compounded semaglutide is dangerous; eat oatmeal
• Ozempic and Wegovy's untapped potential for addiction, anxiety, and depression
• Scientists find natural (and 10 times better?) alternative to Ozempic
• Weight loss drugs will reshape the $100 trillion global economy
• Study: new weight loss drugs have cardiovascular benefits… due to the lost weight
