{"id":18097,"date":"2025-02-12T22:12:59","date_gmt":"2025-02-12T22:12:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/?p=18097"},"modified":"2025-02-12T22:13:00","modified_gmt":"2025-02-12T22:13:00","slug":"new-study-reveals-ozempics-viability-for-reducing-alcohol-cravings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/new-study-reveals-ozempics-viability-for-reducing-alcohol-cravings\/","title":{"rendered":"New Study Reveals Ozempic&#8217;s Viability for Reducing Alcohol Cravings"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-blockquote uagb-block-e7eb3fc3 uagb-blockquote__skin-border uagb-blockquote__stack-img-none\"><blockquote class=\"uagb-blockquote\"><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__content\">A new USC-led study reveals that semaglutide, known commercially as Ozempic, can significantly reduce alcohol cravings and heavy drinking. This research could offer new hope for people struggling with alcohol use disorder.<\/div><footer><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__author-wrap uagb-blockquote__author-at-left\"><\/div><\/footer><\/blockquote><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-content-justification-space-between is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-b0ffac9c wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\"><div style=\"font-size:16px\" class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-post-author\"><div class=\"wp-block-post-author__content\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-author__name\">The University Network<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share uagb-social-share__outer-wrap uagb-social-share__layout-horizontal uagb-block-ee584a31\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-ec619ce7\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"facebook\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M504 256C504 119 393 8 256 8S8 119 8 256c0 123.8 90.69 226.4 209.3 245V327.7h-63V256h63v-54.64c0-62.15 37-96.48 93.67-96.48 27.14 0 55.52 4.84 55.52 4.84v61h-31.28c-30.8 0-40.41 19.12-40.41 38.73V256h68.78l-11 71.69h-57.78V501C413.3 482.4 504 379.8 504 256z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-32d99934\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"twitter\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M389.2 48h70.6L305.6 224.2 487 464H345L233.7 318.6 106.5 464H35.8L200.7 275.5 26.8 48H172.4L272.9 180.9 389.2 48zM364.4 421.8h39.1L151.1 88h-42L364.4 421.8z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-1d136f14\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"linkedin\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\"><path d=\"M416 32H31.9C14.3 32 0 46.5 0 64.3v383.4C0 465.5 14.3 480 31.9 480H416c17.6 0 32-14.5 32-32.3V64.3c0-17.8-14.4-32.3-32-32.3zM135.4 416H69V202.2h66.5V416zm-33.2-243c-21.3 0-38.5-17.3-38.5-38.5S80.9 96 102.2 96c21.2 0 38.5 17.3 38.5 38.5 0 21.3-17.2 38.5-38.5 38.5zm282.1 243h-66.4V312c0-24.8-.5-56.7-34.5-56.7-34.6 0-39.9 27-39.9 54.9V416h-66.4V202.2h63.7v29.2h.9c8.9-16.8 30.6-34.5 62.9-34.5 67.2 0 79.7 44.3 79.7 101.9V416z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A new study led by the University of Southern California (USC) suggests that semaglutide \u2014 the active ingredient in the widely prescribed drugs Ozempic and Wegovy \u2014 could be a viable treatment option for those battling alcohol use disorder. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The study, <a href=\"https:\/\/jamanetwork.com\/journals\/jamapsychiatry\/fullarticle\/2829811\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">published<\/a> in JAMA Psychiatry, marks the first randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial to explore this potential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This revelation comes at a critical time, as alcohol-related fatalities are a significant public health crisis. According to the U.S. Surgeon General, an estimated 178,000 deaths annually in the United States are attributed to alcohol consumption, which can cause liver and cardiovascular diseases and is a known carcinogen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite nearly a third of American adults meeting criteria for problem drinking at some point in their lives, very few seek or receive adequate treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe drugs currently approved to treat alcohol use disorder aren\u2019t widely used,&#8221; first author Christian Hendershot, the director of clinical research at USC\u2019s Institute for Addiction Science, said in a <a href=\"https:\/\/today.usc.edu\/popular-weight-loss-diabetes-drug-shows-promise-in-reducing-cravings-for-alcohol\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">news release<\/a>. &#8220;The popularity of semaglutide and other GLP-1 receptor agonists increases the chances of broad adoption of these treatments for alcohol use disorder, if approved for this indication.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The study&#8217;s results are indeed encouraging. Participants who received weekly injections of semaglutide exhibited reduced alcohol cravings, consumed less alcohol and had fewer heavy drinking days compared to the placebo group. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Notably, nearly 40% of participants in the semaglutide group reported no heavy drinking days in the final month of treatment, compared to just 20% in the placebo group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Experiment<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The researchers recruited 48 adults diagnosed with alcohol use disorder who were not actively seeking treatment. To define this, criteria included a history of drinking more than seven standard drinks per week for women and 14 for men, along with at least two heavy drinking episodes in the past month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The trial began with the participants drinking their preferred alcoholic beverages in a comfortable laboratory setting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Following this initial session, participants were randomly assigned to weekly injections of either semaglutide or a placebo for nine weeks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Their drinking habits were closely monitored during this period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Upon completion, the experiment was repeated to gauge changes. The findings showed that those on semaglutide had significantly reduced their alcohol consumption and cravings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Promising Future<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These findings make a compelling case for larger-scale studies on GLP-1 receptor agonists for alcohol use disorder. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThese data suggest the potential of semaglutide and similar drugs to fill an unmet need for the treatment of alcohol use disorder,&#8221; added senior author Klara Klein, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. &#8220;Larger and longer studies in broader populations are needed to fully understand the safety and efficacy in people with alcohol use disorder, but these initial findings are promising.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The implications of this study could be transformative, not only for those dealing with alcohol dependency but also potentially for smokers. A subgroup of participants who smoked cigarettes also saw significant reductions in cigarette consumption when treated with semaglutide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This research provides a glimmer of hope for new treatments in addressing alcohol use disorder, a condition affecting millions but with limited effective treatment options available today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A new study led by the University of Southern California (USC) suggests that semaglutide \u2014 the active ingredient in the widely prescribed drugs Ozempic and Wegovy \u2014 could be a viable treatment option for those battling alcohol use disorder. The study, published in JAMA Psychiatry, marks the first randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial to explore this [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"single-no-separators","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18097","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-science"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"The University Network","author_link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/author\/funky_junkie\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"A new study led by the University of Southern California (USC) suggests that semaglutide \u2014 the active ingredient in the widely prescribed drugs Ozempic and Wegovy \u2014 could be a viable treatment option for those battling alcohol use disorder. The study, published in JAMA Psychiatry, marks the first randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial to explore this&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18097","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18097"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18097\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18141,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18097\/revisions\/18141"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18097"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18097"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18097"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}