Begin typing your search above and press return to search.
Weight-Loss Medications May Reduce Alcohol Consumption by Nearly Two-Thirds, Study Finds
New Delhi: New research suggests that medications like liraglutide and semaglutide, commonly used for weight loss, may also significantly reduce alcohol consumption—by nearly two-thirds.
Alcohol use disorder, a chronic and relapsing condition, is linked to 2.6 million deaths annually, accounting for 4.7% of all global deaths.
While therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), motivational interventions, and medication can be effective in the short term, about 70% of individuals relapse within a year.
The study found that glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analogues—originally developed for obesity—may reduce alcohol cravings by acting on the brain's reward system.
Over a four-month treatment period, participants' average alcohol intake dropped from 11.3 units per week to 4.3 units. For those who regularly consumed alcohol, the reduction was even greater—from 23.2 to 7.8 units per week, representing a 68% decrease.
According to Professor Carel le Roux from University College Dublin, this level of reduction is comparable to the effect seen with nalmefene, a drug currently used to treat alcohol use disorder in Europe.
"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. Thus, patients report the effects are 'effortless'," Roux said.
The study, published in the journal Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism and presented at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO 2025), adds to growing evidence that GLP-1 analogues may help reduce alcohol consumption.
While these medications have previously been shown to lower alcohol intake in animal studies, data on their impact in humans has been limited.
To explore this further, researchers prospectively tracked alcohol consumption in patients receiving obesity treatment at a clinic in Dublin.
The real-world study included 262 adults with a body mass index (BMI) over 27 kg/m² (79% of whom were women, with an average age of 46 and average weight of 98 kg). These patients were prescribed either liraglutide or semaglutide as part of their weight loss regimen.
Of the total participants, 188 were followed up over an average period of four months. Notably, none of them reported an increase in alcohol consumption during the treatment period.
"GLP-1 analogues have been shown to treat obesity and reduce the risk of multiple obesity-related complications. Now, the beneficial effects beyond obesity, such as on alcohol intake, are being actively studied, with some promising results," Roux said.
Next Story