A new joint study by the University of Eastern Finland and Karolinska Institutet in Sweden found that the GLP-1 agonists semaglutide and liraglutide, which are used for treating diabetes and obesity, were associated with fewer hospitalisations among individuals with alcohol use disorder, AUD. Fewer hospitalisations were observed for alcohol related causes, substance use related causes, and for physical illnesses. However, no association was observed for hospitalisations due to attempted suicide.

Effective treatments for alcohol dependence exist; however, they remain underused and are not effective, or suitable, for all patients with alcohol or substance use disorder. Previous preliminary studies in animals and humans have shown that GLP-1 agonists may significantly reduce the consumption of alcohol and other substances.

The present study examined Swedish registry data on more than 200,000 individuals who had been diagnosed with alcohol use disorder in 2006–2021. Their drug treatments and hospitalisations were followed up until the end of 2023 using the PRE2DUP method developed by the research team and a within-individual design. During the follow-up, 4,321 of the study participants were using semaglutide, and 2,509 were using liraglutide.

The use of GLP-1-agonists was associated with a significantly reduced risk of hospitalisation due to alcohol use disorder. Semaglutide was associated with a 36% lower risk, and liraglutide with a 28% lower risk of hospitalisation. Both drugs were also associated with a significantly reduced risk of hospitalisation due to any substance use disorder: semaglutide with a 32% lower risk, and liraglutide with a 22% lower risk.

The risk of hospitalisation when using GLP-1-agonists was lower than when using naltrexone, which was the most effective drug among drugs already approved for alcohol use disorder. Naltrexone was associated with a 14% lower risk of hospitalisation due to alcohol and substance use related causes.

The use of semaglutide, liraglutide and AUD drugs were all associated with fewer hospitalisations due to physical illness: semaglutide with 22% fewer, liraglutide with 21% fewer, and AUD drugs with 15% fewer hospitalisations. No statistically significant association was observed between the use of GLP-1-agonists and hospitalisations due to attempted suicide.

“The research idea stems from patient observations reporting less alcohol consumption since initiating a semaglutide drug. Similar observations have also been highlighted by scientists in international conferences, so we decided to examine this in more detail,” says Docent of Forensic Psychiatry Markku Lähteenvuo of the University of Eastern Finland and the Niuvanniemi Hospital.

“Our study suggests that besides obesity and diabetes, GLP-1-agonists may also help in the treatment of alcohol and substance use disorders; however, these findings need to be further validated in randomised controlled trials,” Lähteenvuo notes.