GLP 1 Drugs Reduce Alcohol Addiction: GLP-1 based medicines used to reduce obesity are now in the news for a new reason. A recently published research revealed that these medicines can also help in reducing alcohol addiction. Research published in the medical journal The Lancet has created new hope for the treatment of people struggling with both obesity and alcohol addiction. However, experts say that there is a need for research in this direction on a larger scale. In such a situation, let us now tell you how GLP medicines can reduce obesity and alcohol addiction and what are the claims made in the research?
What does the new research say?
This research was done on 108 people who were struggling with obesity as well as alcohol use disorder. During this time, all the people were given counselling, cognitive behavioral therapy and they were divided into two categories. One category was given an injection of semaglutide once a week, while the other was given a placebo. At the beginning of the study, the people involved in the research were drinking heavily on an average of 17 days in the last 30 days. After 6 months, this number decreased to 5 days in people taking semaglutide. Whereas in the placebo group the OR figure remained around 9 days. That is, an average reduction of 12 days was recorded in the days of heavy drinking, which is about 50 percent more than the placebo category. Apart from this, a decline was also seen in the amount of total alcohol consumption, where initially people were consuming an average of 2200 grams of alcohol. After 6 months, it reduced to 650 grams in the semaglutide group and 1175 grams in the placebo group.
How do these medicines work?
GLP-1 drugs like semaglutide and tiragepatide work like hormones produced in the body. It reduces appetite, increases the feeling of fullness and slows down the speed of digestion. According to research, these medicines also affect the parts of the brain that control appetite and the reward system, which can also affect alcohol addiction.
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Alcohol addiction is a big problem globally
Alcohol use disorder is a serious condition in which a person is unable to stop drinking alcohol even if he wants to. According to the World Health Organization, about 40 crore people worldwide are suffering from this problem, which is about 7 percent of the global population. In the year 2019, about 26 lakh people died due to alcohol. Of these, 16 lakh deaths were related to non-communicable diseases, 7 lakh to injuries and three lakh to infectious diseases. Alcohol consumption was found to be associated with more than 200 diseases and health conditions. Which includes serious diseases like liver, heart and cancer. According to the report, till now very few medicines are available for the treatment of alcohol use disorder. The US Food and Drug Administration has so far approved only three drugs: Disulfiram, acamprosate and naltrexone. In such a situation, the need for new and effective treatment is being felt for a long time. At the same time, GLP-1 based medicines are becoming increasingly popular in India.
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Disclaimer: This information is based on research studies and expert opinion. Do not consider this as a substitute for medical advice. Before adopting any new activity or exercise, please consult your doctor or relevant specialist.
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