Popular Weight Loss Medications May Help Treat Alcohol and Drug Addiction

Medications used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity may have an unexpected benefit: helping to reduce the risk and consequences of addiction. In a study of US veterans, people who started using these medications were less likely to develop dependence and experienced fewer serious events, such as hospitalizations or overdoses, when they already had substance use disorders. Although the results are promising, experts say that clinical trials are still needed to confirm this possible new therapeutic use.

Substance use disorders, such as dependence on alcohol, opioids, nicotine, or other drugs, are a major public health challenge worldwide. They affect not only the health of those suffering from addiction, but also their families and healthcare systems.

While effective treatments exist for some of these conditions, they are still underutilized and do not always work for all patients. Therefore, researchers are investigating whether medications already used for other diseases could help in the treatment of addiction.

One group of medications that has attracted attention are the so-called GLP-1 receptor agonists, used primarily in the treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity. These medications have become quite well-known in recent years because they also aid in weight loss. Recent studies suggest that they may affect brain regions involved in the sensation of reward and stress control, the same systems that play an important role in the development of addiction.

To investigate this possibility, researchers analyzed health data from thousands of U.S. military veterans who had type 2 diabetes. Instead of conducting a new traditional clinical trial, the scientists used existing medical records and created a statistical method that simulates multiple clinical trials simultaneously.

They compared patients who started treatment with GLP-1 class medications with patients who started using another type of diabetes medication that has similar metabolic benefits but does not act on the same brain circuits.

The researchers followed the patients for about three years. Among those with no history of addiction, people who used GLP-1 class medications showed a lower risk of developing problems related to the use of alcohol, nicotine, opioids, cannabis, and other drugs. Although the individual differences were relatively small, they were consistent across various types of substances.

GLP-1 is associated with a reduction in substance use disorders and serious consequences for all types of addictive substances. Credit: Sara Moser / WashU Medicine / scitechdaily

The results were even more significant among patients who already had some substance use disorder. In this group, starting treatment with GLP-1 class medications was associated with fewer addiction-related emergency room visits, fewer hospitalizations, and a lower risk of overdose.

There was also a reduction in the risk of death and suicidal thoughts or attempts. In practical terms, this meant a few fewer cases of these serious events for every thousand patients followed over three years.

It is not yet known exactly why these medications may have this effect. One hypothesis is that they reduce the intensity of the craving for rewards, which could decrease the urge to consume substances such as alcohol or drugs. Previous studies with one of these medications, semaglutide, had already shown a reduction in alcohol cravings in people with alcohol use disorder. Other observational studies also suggest similar effects for nicotine and opioids.

A study conducted by researchers at WashU Medicine found that GLP-1 use is associated with seven fewer new cases of substance use disorder and 12 fewer adverse events related to substance use per 1,000 people taking GLP-1 for diabetes, compared to those taking a medication without GLP-1. Credit: Sara Moser / WashU Medicine / scitechdaily

Even so, researchers caution that these results should be interpreted with caution. Because the study was based on medical records and not a classic controlled experiment, other factors may have influenced the results.

Furthermore, the majority of participants were older men, meaning it is not yet clear whether the effects would be the same in women, younger people, or people from other countries. Therefore, scientists advocate for further controlled clinical trials to confirm whether these medications can truly help in the treatment of addiction.

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Metabolic medicines and addiction: what GLP-1 receptor agonists might add to substance use care

Fares Qeadan

BMJ. 4 March 2026;392:s325

DOI: 10.1136/bmj.s325

Abstract:

No abstract available