Can GLP-1 drugs treat addiction? A new study hints at their potential

"Now a large epidemiological study published today in the BMJ suggests that glucagonlike peptide 1 (GLP-1) medications—as these drugs are called—reduce the risk of all kinds of substance use disorders, including those involving alcohol, nicotine, cannabis, opioids and cocaine. Not only did GLP-1 drugs appear to prevent people from developing these addictions, but they also decreased rates of life-threatening events, including drug-related overdoses and deaths."

"Seeing reductions across every disorder, I was like, Is this real?' because there is nothing like it, says clinical epidemiologist Ziyad Al-Aly, lead author of the study and chief of research and development at the U.S. Depart of Veterans Affairs St. Louis Health Care System. This is an obesity and diabetes drug; this is not an addiction drug. So the big surprise was: it was consistently working across all substances."

"The analysis followed more than 600,000 people with type 2 diabetes in the U.S. VA health care system for three years. Participants who took GLP-1 medications for diabetes were compared with those on another diabetes treatment that has not been linked to decreasing addiction. In veterans with no history of a substance use disorder, GLP-1 drugs were associated with a 14 percent reduced risk across all"

A large epidemiological study published in the BMJ examined over 600,000 people with type 2 diabetes in the U.S. VA health care system over three years. The research found that GLP-1 medications, commonly used for diabetes and weight loss, significantly reduce the risk of developing various substance use disorders. Veterans taking GLP-1 drugs showed a 14 percent reduced risk across all substance use disorders compared to those on alternative diabetes treatments. The findings reveal that these medications prevent addiction development and decrease life-threatening events including drug-related overdoses and deaths. This broad protective effect across multiple substances surprised researchers, as GLP-1 drugs were developed for obesity and diabetes, not addiction treatment.

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