Anti-obesity medications could help treat alcohol use disorders

Losing weight with anti-obesity medications (AOM) also resulted in decreased alcohol consumption for about half of the participants in a new study appearing in the current issue of JAMA Network Open.

The research, led by Lisa Miller-Matero, PhD, an associate scientist and Associate Director of Health Services Research at Henry Ford Health, adds to a growing body of research that suggests medications such as Ozempic or Wegovy could be adapted to treat substance use disorders.

This was different from past research in that we included a variety of anti-obesity medications and looked at changes in alcohol use among people who reported casual consumption. Other work primarily only included glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) among individuals with substance use disorders. We also compared GLP-1 RAs to metformin and bupropion/naltrexone, which are other anti-obesity medications.”

Lisa Miller-Matero, PhD, Associate Scientist and Associate Director of Health Services Research at Henry Ford Health

Researchers examined the drinking habits of 14,000 WeightWatchers members who began taking an AOM between January 2022 and August 2023 and refilled the same AOM between October 2023 and November 2023.

“What was exciting was that those who were drinking at higher, or even what is considered hazardous levels, had a greater likelihood of reducing alcohol use,” Miller-Matero said.

Prior to beginning their medication, participants were asked if their average weekly alcohol consumption was light (1-3 drinks per week for women and 1-6 drinks per week for men), moderate (4-6 per week for women and 7-14 per week for men), or heavy (7+ per week for women and 15+ per week for men.) Participants updated their consumption level again at the time of refill.

Among the approximately 7,500 participants who initially reported alcohol use, about 3,400 reported decreasing their category of alcohol use, with the biggest reduction reported by people originally in the moderate and heavy drinking categories. All types of AOMs were associated with reduced alcohol use.

“People on the WeightWatchers program who have used AOM have said: ‘My whole life I’ve been a social drinker, but now I’m not craving my glass of red wine,’ or ‘I’m drinking the same or less than before and am having the worst hangover of my life,’ therefore deterring their interest in alcohol,” said study senior author and WeightWatchers Chief Nutrition Officer Michelle Cardel, PhD, RD.

Miller-Matero says further research would help determine if the medications led to decreased alcohol use or if participants changed their drinking habits because they were consuming fewer calories and making healthier lifestyle choices. 

She said the findings also warrant further research into the use of anti-obesity medications for treating substance use.