Weight-loss jabs could prevent and treat addiction to alcohol, cigarettes and drugs like cannabis, cocaine and opioids, according to a new large study.
Experts believe the way the medicines work on the brain’s reward pathway cuts cravings and could also save lives from substance abuse.
Weight-loss drugs include glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1s), which help people feel fuller by mimicking the natural hormone released after eating.
Common ones include semaglutide and tirzepatide.
Published in The BMJ medical journal, the research found GLP-1s helped prevent both substance misuse in those who had no addictions, and overdoses and hospital emergency visits in people already addicted.
The findings were based on 606,434 American military veterans with type 2 diabetes who were monitored for up to three years.
In veterans with no history of substance abuse, starting a GLP-1 drug was linked to an overall 14% reduced risk of substance use disorders (SUDs), as well as a reduced risk of problems with cannabis (14%), alcohol (18%), cocaine (20%), nicotine (20%) and opioids (25%), when compared with people on other diabetes drugs.
This meant there were between one to six fewer cases per 1,000 people over three years.
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Among those with an existing SUD, starting a GLP-1 was linked to 50% lower deaths, 39% fewer overdoses, 31% lower risk of SUD-related emergency department visits and 26% lower hospital admissions, alongside 25% lower risk of suicidal thoughts or attempted suicides.
This is about one to 10 fewer such events happening per 1,000 people over three years.
While the study was predominantly on older men, similar results were found in women.
The researchers noted that the results suggested that GLP-1s have potential preventive effects across a broad range of addictive substances. – PA Media/dpa
