Weight-loss drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound are improving the health of many people, and a new study suggests that even more could benefit from them.
A recent study indicates that individuals with substance-use disorders who take these weight-loss drugs are less likely to experience opioid overdose or alcohol intoxication compared to those not taking the medications. These findings add to a growing body of research exploring the various health benefits associated with these drugs. They target hormones called incretins, which influence appetite, digestion, diabetes, heart health, sleep, and the brain circuits related to pleasure and reward.
The latest study examined the relationship between opioid and alcohol substance-use disorders and the new category of modern weight-loss drugs. These drugs target either glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) hormone or glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) hormone and include semaglutide (the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy) and tirzepatide (found in Mounjaro and Zepbound). Researchers analyzed health records from over 1.3 million individuals across 136 health systems in the U.S. All of the patients had either an opioid or alcohol-use disorder, and some used the weight-loss medications.
Those with opioid-use disorders who received any of these drugs showed a 40% lower incidence of opioid overdose during the study period compared to those not getting the medications, while people with alcohol-use disorders receiving the prescriptions showed a 50% lower incidence of intoxication compared to those who didn’t take them.
“This suggests that [the drugs’] beneficial effects on addiction-related behaviors may extend beyond their traditional role in managing weight or diabetes,” says Fares Qeadan, lead study author and associate professor of biostatistics at Loyola University Chicago.
This possibility is supported by biological evidence, as the GLP-1 and GIP systems influence the reward circuits in the brain, which are involved in generating feelings of satisfaction and reward. These circuits are implicated in both food consumption and other addictive behaviors. Animal studies have revealed that rodents given these medications and other related drugs demonstrate reduced addictive behaviors. While this data, combined with the current study, suggests that these medications may be helpful in reducing certain addiction outcomes, further human studies are needed to confirm whether a similar effect occurs in people.
The current study only establishes a potential link between the medications and addiction, but rigorous clinical trials that track doses of these drugs and reduced opioid or alcohol use among treated and control groups could help to clarify how useful these medications might be in treating addictions. Brain-imaging studies could also confirm how the drugs may dampen addictive behaviors.
As more research and longer-term data on these weight-loss medications accumulate, other health benefits may also emerge, and doctors will have better information to guide prescribing decisions. If the data support it, in the coming years, it may be possible that those who benefit from these drugs will not just be people with diabetes or those who are overweight or obese.
For now, says Qeadan, the data look encouraging that opioid- and alcohol-use disorders may be affected by these weight-loss medications. “We are confident that the observed effects—specifically the reduced rates of opioid overdose and alcohol intoxication—are not merely attributable to associations with Type 2 diabetes or obesity,” he says.