GLP-1s are making users feel less drunk: new study

Slimmer waist, weaker buzz?

A new study suggests GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy — commonly used for diabetes and weight loss — may also blunt the effects of alcohol.

That might be bad news for casual drinkers, but scientists at Virginia Tech’s Fralin Biomedical Research Institute said it could open the door to a promising new tool for people battling the bottle.

“Using a drug that’s already shown to be safe to help people reduce drinking could be a way to get people help fast,” Dr. Alex DiFeliceantonio, study co-author and interim co-director of the FBRI’s Center for Health Behaviors Research, said in a statement. 

Across the US, roughly 1 in 10 adults struggle with alcohol use disorder — a medical condition that makes quitting feel nearly impossible, even when it damages relationships, jobs and health.

Long-term heavy drinking can increase the risk of serious medical problems, including high blood pressure, heart and liver disease, stroke and a weakened immune system. It’s also the third-leading preventable cause of cancer, behind tobacco use and obesity.

For the study, DiFeliceantonio and her colleagues recruited 20 obese participants in Virginia, half of whom were already taking maintenance doses of GLP-1 drugs.

These medications mimic the body’s natural GLP-1 hormone — which regulates blood sugar, digestion and appetite — helping people feel full longer and eat less.

On test day, participants fasted before eating a snack bar to keep their calories and stomach contents consistent.

Researchers checked their vitals, including blood glucose and breath alcohol levels, before handing them an alcoholic drink that had to be finished within 10 minutes.

Afterward, they checked vitals three more times over the course of an hour and asked participants about their cravings, appetite and the effects of the alcohol.

Those on GLP-1s consistently reported feeling less intoxicated. And while everyone drank enough to reach a 0.08% blood alcohol concentration, the rise was slower in the medicated group.

The researchers said the slower increase may also delay the speed at which alcohol hits the brain — thereby dulling the buzz.

“Why would this matter? Faster-acting drugs have a higher abuse potential,” DiFeliceantonio explained. “If GLP-1s slow alcohol entering the bloodstream, they could reduce the effects of alcohol and help people drink less.”

The study was small, but researchers said the results are strong enough to warrant bigger trials testing these drugs as a tool to help people cut back on their alcohol intake.

This isn’t the first time GLP-1s have delivered perks beyond the scale.

Users of Ozempic and similar medications have reported fewer cravings for nicotine, opioids and even impulse shopping.

Last year, a study found that opioid users taking GLP-1s had a 40% lower rate of overdoses compared to those not taking the medications.

In another trial, researchers discovered that alcoholics treated with GLP-1s were less likely to be hospitalized for alcohol-related issues — with the medications outperforming the leading drugs used to address alcoholism.

Scientists believe the effect may be linked to how GLP-1s influence dopamine levels in the brain. These drugs interact with the mesolimbic system — a key reward center involved in addictive behavior.

“I see so many patients who do not have good outcomes on the medications we have and who are desperate for help with their addiction,” said lead researcher Dr. Markku Lähteenvuo. “We really do need more tools in the toolbox.”