Weight-loss drugs Wegovy and Mounjaro could slash alcohol-related hospital admissions
Weight loss medications such as Wegovy and Mounjaro may be associated with a reduction in hospital admissions for alcohol-dependent people.
GLP-1s are primarily used to treat diabetes and obesity by mimicking hormones that regulate blood sugar and reduce appetite.
Studies suggest the drug may also help reduce alcohol consumption.
But researchers in the US said the evidence was “limited and mixed”.
Experts analyzed alcohol-related hospital admissions of 40,703 people who started on semaglutide, also known as Mounjaro, or tirzepatide, which includes the brand name Wegovy, between January 2018 and December 2024.
They were all included in four different studies: an anti-diabetic drug trial; weight loss drug trial; a study examining medications for people with type 2 diabetes who have alcohol problems; and a trial examining drugs for obese people with alcohol problems.
The analysis found that GLP-1 drugs reduced the risk of alcohol-related hospitalization by 26% compared to other diabetes medications.
Among those taking medication for weight loss, the risk was 32 percent lower compared to other obesity medications.
Elsewhere, weight-loss shots reduced the risk of alcohol-related hospitalization among type 2 diabetics and obese people with alcohol problems by 63% and 65%, respectively.
The latest available figures show there are more than one million alcohol-related hospital admissions in England in 2023/24.
The findings, published in the journal BMJ Open, suggest GLP-1 drugs “may play a potential role” in the “context” of alcohol use disorder, but further research is needed, the researchers said.
Reacting to the findings, Colin Angus, professor of alcohol policy at the University of Sheffield’s Addiction Research Group, said: “This looks like a reasonable study that adds to the growing evidence that GLP-1s can reduce alcohol-related harm.
“But this is a US-based observational study, and newer GLP-1s are expensive treatments, which means there may be some important differences between people who get GLP-1 and those who don’t that haven’t been fully controlled for.
“For example, people from wealthier groups and those with better health insurance are more likely to be able to afford them. The authors of the study also acknowledge this.”
“I see this as adding a little more weight to the emerging evidence rather than making a definitive judgment on the matter.”
