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University Hospitals Birmingham colleagues are among the authors of an international research paper recently published in The Lancet. Led by Dr Pouya Ebrahimi, Specialty Registrar in Cardiology, and Dr Yash Kachela, Medical Student Undergraduate, the study examines how diabetes and weight management medicines may support people living with alcohol use disorder.

Alcohol use disorder is a medical condition characterised by an impaired ability to stop or control alcohol use despite adverse social, occupational, or health consequences. It is common, yet only a small proportion of people receive effective treatment.

Medicines called GLP-1 receptor agonists, such as semaglutide and liraglutide, were originally developed to treat metabolic diseases like diabetes and to help with weight management. In recent years, patients and clinicians have increasingly reported that those taking GLP-1 medications often notice a reduced desire to drink alcohol.

To investigate this emerging pattern, an international research team, spanning the UK, Denmark and the United States, reviewed all available evidence on the effects of GLP-1 medicines on alcohol use behaviour. This included randomised trials, large population-based studies, and real-world data from more than five million people.

Across the studies, people taking GLP-1 medicines experienced fewer cravings, drank less frequently, and consumed fewer units when they did drink. They were also less likely to return to heavy drinking or develop alcohol-related health problems.

Brain imaging studies suggest that these medicines may reduce the rewarding effects of alcohol and help dampen urges triggered by cues. The strongest benefits were seen with semaglutide and liraglutide, particularly among individuals with obesity or type 2 diabetes.

Overall, these findings show that GLP-1 medicines have consistent and meaningful effects on reducing alcohol intake and relapse risk. While they could become an important new option for supporting people with alcohol use disorder, larger clinical trials specifically designed to test this are still needed.

Dr Pouya Ebrahimi said: “This research provides important evidence that GLP-1 receptor agonists could have a meaningful role beyond metabolic disease. Given current treatments for alcohol use disorder are often limited in effectiveness, these findings could pave the way for more personalised approaches that target the underlying biology of the condition.

“The next steps will be to carry out further clinical trials to confirm how well the treatment works, identify the best dose, and understand which patient groups are most likely to benefit.”