Ozempic could be distributed to combat alcohol abuse and drug addiction
‘Miracle’ slimming shots can help reduce alcohol and substance abuse, research shows.
The drugs, which include Mounjaro, Ozempic and Wegovy, are being hailed as a monumental breakthrough in the war on obesity.
According to American experts, the injections could now also reduce alcohol intoxication and opioid overdoses by almost half.
Researchers weren’t sure why the drugs, collectively known as GLP-1 agonists, might help in this way.
But they labeled the findings as ‘significant’ and said the jabs ‘should be investigated’ as a new addiction treatment, but warned that further research was necessary.
Semaglutide, tirzepatide and liraglutide – the active ingredient in drugs like Mounjaro, Ozempic and Wegovy – are being hailed as a monumental breakthrough in the war on obesity
Fares Qeadan, associate professor of biostatistics at Loyola University Chicago and lead author of the study, said the findings “provide significant initial evidence that GLP-1 receptor agonists such as semaglutide are associated with reduced overdoses and intoxications in patients with opioid and alcohol use.” disorders’.
The drugs, loved by Hollywood stars, stimulate weight loss by mimicking the action of a hormone released in the intestines after eating, called GLP-1.
In the study, researchers assessed 503,747 people with a history of opioid use disorder.
Of these, more than 8,100 had a prescription for the injections.
They found that those who had a prescription had a 40 percent lower opioid overdose rate compared to those without a prescription.
Of the 817,309 volunteers with an alcohol addiction, more than 5,600 had a prescription for a shot.
There was a 50 percent lower rate of intoxication compared to those who did not have a prescription.
Writing in the diary AddictionAccording to the researchers, the findings could have “significant implications for both clinical practice and public health policy in the coming years.”
They also show that “GLP-1 and other related drugs should be explored as a new pharmacotherapeutic treatment option for individuals with opioid or alcohol use disorder,” they said.
But future research must first investigate the effects of using the jabs in this way “more thoroughly and delve deeper into the short- and long-term effects,” they said.
Matt Field, professor of psychology at the University of Sheffield, who was not involved in the study, also said: ‘These findings add to those from other studies, particularly animal research, which suggest this and similar drugs could one day be prescribed . to help people with addiction.
‘One caveat is that the results are very extreme cases of substance intoxication.’
Often scientists measure abstinence and whether someone has reduced their consumption of a substance, which did not happen in this study.
Ozempic and its sister drug Wegovy work by causing the body to bind to a receptor called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), a protein that triggers the release of hormones in the brain that keep the stomach full and telling the body to stop eating and avoid cravings
Of the 817,309 volunteers with an alcohol addiction, more than 5,600 had a prescription for a shot. There was a 50 percent lower rate of intoxication compared to those who did not have a prescription
He added: ‘This leaves open the possibility that while Ozempic may – for currently unknown reasons – stop people from using so much alcohol or heroin (that) they overdose and end up in hospital, it may not actually prevent them from using alcohol or heroin. helps reduce their substance use. , or to abstain altogether.’
It comes after Health Secretary Wes Streeting revealed this week that the Government wants to use the jabs to stimulate the economy and get unemployed obese people back to work.
Weight-related diseases cost the economy £74 billion a year, with overweight people at increased risk of heart disease, cancer and type 2 diabetes.
Two in three Britons are overweight or obese, and NHS figures show that people now weigh around a stone more than they did 30 years ago.
The NHS is preparing for the mass rollout of weight loss jabs to 1.6 million patients.
They will target the heaviest and sickest first, the government said last month.
But health chiefs have also warned that Frlance to hand out obesity vaccinations NHS risk overwhelming an already strained service.
In an email to trust leaders this week, seen by the Mail, NHS England chief executive Amanda Pritchard warned that plans to distribute obesity jabs to the NHS risk overwhelming already stretched services.
The injections have been shown to help users lose an average of up to 30 pounds (15.3 kg) over 68 weeks.
They work by tricking the brain into thinking they are full, which reduces appetite and helps people lose weight.
Semaglutide has been available on the NHS since 2019 and in the US since 2017 for type 2 diabetics. controlling blood sugar levels.
Another semaglutide drug was also approved in Britain for weight loss in 2022, and in the US in 2021, under the brand name Wegovy.
Like any drug, semaglutide can cause side effects that vary in frequency and severity. Reported problems include nausea, constipation, diarrhea, fatigue, stomach pain, headache and dizziness.
Bizarre symptoms, such as hair loss, have also been reported in some patients.