Popular weight-loss drugs could ease the effect of alcohol, study says
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Popular drugs credited with reducing waistlines and controlling blood sugar can also ease the effect of alcohol, according to a new study.
Researchers at Virginia Tech’s Fralin Biomedical Research Institute analyzed how 20 adults with obesity (half of whom had been taking GLP-1 receptor agonists for at least four weeks) reacted to alcoholic beverages compared to participants who were not taking drugs.
Previous studies have shown that GLP-1 drugs are associated with reduced consumption in people with alcohol use disorder.
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GLP-1 medications, such as Ozempic and Wegovy, both semaglutide, and Mounjaro, which contains tirzepatide, mimic natural hormones that regulate blood sugar and appetite. The study included participants taking semaglutide, tirzepatide, and liraglutide.
“We have evidence that these medications reduce alcohol consumption outside of the lab,” study co-author Alex DiFeliceantonio, an assistant professor and interim co-director of the institute’s Health Behavior Research Center, told News Digital. “What we wanted to understand in this study was how.”
Researchers found that people taking GLP-1 medications felt a milder, delayed tinnitus. (iStock)
Both groups fasted overnight, ate an identical snack, and then consumed measured alcoholic beverages designed to reach approximately 0.08 on a breathalyzer.
The researchers tracked participants’ breath alcohol levels, cravings, appetite, nausea and blood sugar, and also asked, “How drunk do you feel?” on a scale of 0 to 10 over the course of four hours.
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Those taking GLP-1 showed a slower rise in breath alcohol during the first 10 to 20 minutes and lower overall levels throughout. They also reported feeling less intoxicated from the start.
The findings, which were published in the journal Scientific Reports on October 15, align with how GLP-1 drugs are thought to act in the intestine.
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The medications are known to delay gastric emptying, which slows down how quickly alcohol is absorbed.
“People who drink know that there is a difference between having a glass of wine and having a shot of whiskey,” DiFeliceantonio said in a Virginia Tech news release.
Study participants who used GLP-1 showed lower levels of breath alcohol. (iStock)
“Faster-acting drugs have a greater potential for abuse,” he continued. “They have a different impact on the brain. Therefore, if GLP-1 slows the entry of alcohol into the bloodstream, it could reduce the effects of alcohol and help people drink less.”
The team also found that overall alcohol cravings were lower in the GLP-1 group.
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Nausea and changes in blood sugar were similar between the groups, suggesting that the “less buzzy” effect was not due to feeling sick.
More than half of American adults drink alcohol, and about one in 10 suffers from an alcohol use disorder, experts noted. While existing drugs to reduce alcohol consumption act mainly in the brain, GLP-1 appears to act partly through the intestine.
The study found that GLP-1 drugs can reduce the effects of alcohol in the gut, not the brain.
‘Open questions’
The authors cautioned that the trial was a small, nonrandomized pilot study, and added that all participants were obese.
“More studies are needed to help establish how effective these medications are, what the long-term effects are, whether some are better than others, and what dosage is most effective in reducing alcohol consumption versus controlling blood glucose, for example,” DiFeliceantonio said. “These are all open questions.”
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Akshaya Bhagavathula, Ph.D., associate professor of epidemiology at North Dakota State University and fellow of the American College of Epidemiology, said the study is too small to prove causality and offers an “interesting signal, not a conclusion.”
Previous studies have shown that GLP-1 drugs can reduce alcohol intake and cravings. (iStock)
Bhagavathula, who was not involved in the study, cautioned that a weaker early buzz could lead some people to drink more.
“Future research should monitor total alcohol intake and craving patterns over time to understand whether this compensation occurs,” he told News Digital.
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Emerging data suggest that GLP-1 drugs could reshape addiction treatment, Bhagavathula said.
“GLP-1 receptors influence reward signaling and desire, not only for food but also for substances such as alcohol and nicotine,” he said. “If confirmed in larger studies, these medications could represent a new class of metabolism-based addiction treatments, bridging endocrinology and behavioral health.”
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“It’s time to stop seeing them as a ‘weight loss mania,'” the expert added. “GLP-1 drugs regulate appetite, reward, and metabolism in complex ways that go beyond weight.”
He stressed that public messages should highlight the medical value of drugs and the need for clinical oversight.
News Digital has contacted the manufacturers of LPG-1 for comment.
Deirdre Bardolf is a lifestyle writer at News Digital.