- A new Danish study indicates that semaglutide, marketed as Wegovy and Ozempic, could help individuals with alcohol problems by reducing consumption, heavy drinking days, and cravings.
- The 26-week trial involved 108 obese patients diagnosed with alcohol use disorder, with half receiving 2.4mg of semaglutide and the other half a placebo, in addition to talking therapy.
- Participants treated with semaglutide saw a significant decrease in heavy drinking days, dropping from an average of 17 to approximately five per month, while the placebo group reduced to nine days.
- Overall alcohol consumption also reduced more substantially in the semaglutide group, decreasing from about 2,200g to 650g over a 30-day period, compared to 1,175g for the placebo group.
- Experts suggest semaglutide may influence the biological mechanisms of addiction, offering a potential new treatment avenue, but emphasize the need for larger, longer-term trials across diverse populations before widespread clinical use.
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