A study published in the British Medical Journal suggests that certain weight-loss and diabetes drugs may be associated with a lower risk of several forms of addiction. The Guardian reports on the findings.
Researchers analyzed health data from 606,434 U.S. military veterans with type 2 diabetes. Participants were followed for up to three years.
In the study, researchers compared patients taking GLP-1 drugs with patients treated with another type of diabetes medication known as SGLT2 inhibitors.
GLP-1 medications include treatments such as Ozempic and Mounjaro.
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These drugs work by mimicking a hormone in the body that is released after a meal. This increases feelings of fullness and can reduce appetite.
Lower risk of substance misuse
According to The Guardian’s review of the study, the results showed that people treated with GLP-1 medication had a lower risk of problems related to substance use.
The risk of alcohol-related disorders was 18 percent lower among individuals without previous substance misuse.
At the same time, researchers found a 14 percent lower risk of cannabis use.
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For both cocaine and nicotine, the risk was about 20 percent lower, while the risk of opioid use was 25 percent lower.
Researchers also found a reduced risk among people who were already using substances.
Researchers urge caution
In the group taking GLP-1 medication, the risk of overdose was 39 percent lower.
At the same time, the need for emergency treatment fell by 31 percent, while deaths related to overdoses were 50 percent lower.
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However, experts have emphasized that the study does not show that the drugs can be used as a treatment for addiction, according to The Guardian.
Claire Anderson, president of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, told the newspaper that the research is part of a growing interest in whether GLP-1 drugs may affect the brain’s systems related to reward and cravings.
She also stressed that more clinical trials are needed to determine whether there is a direct link.
Sources: The Guardian, and British Medical Journal.
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