GLP1s (Semaglutide/Trizepatide) Reduce Alcohol/Opioid Abuse risk by 50%

Hey everyone — this study is one of the more remarkable things I've shared on this blog.

Published in the journal Addiction: researchers analyzed data from over 500,000 patients with a history of opioid use disorder or alcohol use disorder, and found that GLP-1/GIP medications reduced rates of opioid abuse by 40% and alcohol abuse by 50%.

Fifty percent. Half.

Now I'll be straight with you, like always: this was an observational analysis, not a randomized trial, so it's a powerful association rather than final proof. But the size of the dataset and the size of the effect make it hard to ignore.

Why would a weight-loss medication touch addiction at all? The leading theory ties back to something we talk about constantly with patients: food noise. These medications quiet the reward-and-craving circuitry that drives you to think about food all day. Researchers increasingly believe that same circuitry drives cravings for alcohol, nicotine, and opioids. Quiet the noise, quiet the craving — whatever the craving is for.

And here's the part that doesn't surprise me at all: patients have been telling us versions of this informally since the early days. "I'm not drinking as much." "I don't even want my nightly wine anymore." We chalked it up to lifestyle change. The data now suggests it may be the medication itself, working on the same pathways.

This research is early, but watch this space. If GLP-1s pan out for addiction medicine, it'll be one of the biggest medical stories of the decade.

-Daryl

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