Dec. 2, 2024 – Taking weight loss drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound can help people cut back on what they eat and also on what they drink – including alcohol.
Almost half of regular drinkers who took weight loss drugs reported drinking less alcohol after starting the medications, according to a new study published this month in JAMA.
The study included 14,053 people, of whom 86% were women. All participated in Weight Watchers’ telehealth medical weight management program starting in 2022 or by mid-year 2023. The average age of participants was 43.
About half of participants reported alcohol use at the time they started taking medication for weight loss. People who had a higher level of obesity at the start of the study or who were heavier drinkers at the outset were the most likely to report decreasing their alcohol usage.
The study included several different types of obesity medications, although most participants took one of two popular glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1) agonists called semaglutide and tirzepatide. About 14% of participants took other medications, such as older GLP-1s called dulaglutide and liraglutide. Some people in the study took bupropion, metformin, or naltrexone. Bupropion and naltrexone are also approved to treat drug use disorders.
The researchers noted that GLP-1s may impact “the rewarding effects of alcohol, similar to food.” Another potential reason for decreased alcohol use among some participants may be related to encouragement through the weight management program to limit alcohol use, the authors wrote, adding that research has shown alcohol use can impair cognitive restraint, which is a term for the ability to control food intake.
The findings build on other research suggesting that taking GLP-1s can affect alcohol use. A November report in JAMA Psychiatry found that people who take them are at reduced risk of being hospitalized for physical illness and for alcohol-related conditions.
