GLP-1 medications may delay the effects of alcohol in the blood

There is growing evidence that popular medications prescribed for diabetes management and weight loss, better known by trade names like Ozempic and Wegovy, may be effective in reducing alcohol consumption.

A study from the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, published in Scientific reports, found that these types of GLP-1 agonists slow the rate at which alcohol enters the bloodstream, which also slows the effects on the brain.

“People who drink know there’s a difference between drinking a glass of wine and drinking a glass of whiskey,” said Alex DiFeliceantonio, assistant professor and interim co-director of FBRI’s Center for Health Behavior Research.

A standard serving of either contains 0.6 ounces of alcohol, but the shot causes a rapid increase in blood alcohol content. The feeling is different because of how the body handles alcohol over time.

“Why is this important? Faster-acting drugs have a higher potential for abuse,” DiFeliceantonio said. “They impact the brain differently. So if GLP-1 slows the entry of alcohol into the bloodstream, it could reduce the effects of alcohol and help people drink less.”

More than half of American adults drink alcohol, and about one in ten suffer from alcohol use disorder. Long-term chronic alcohol consumption is associated with health-related illnesses such as high blood pressure, cancer, and heart and liver disease.

In January, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued an advisory highlighting alcohol consumption as the third preventable cause of cancer, after smoking and obesity.

Despite consuming similar doses of alcohol calculated to increase breath alcohol concentration to approximately 0.08%, the concentration increased more slowly in participants taking semaglutide, tirzepatide, or liraglutide. Participants in this group also reported feeling less intoxicated on subjective measures.

The research aimed to better understand the physical and subjective experience of alcohol traveling through the body of someone taking a GLP-1. The study provides important preliminary data to guide the design of larger, more rigorous studies to determine whether GLP-1 medications can help reduce alcohol consumption.

Twenty participants with a BMI of 30 or greater, half on a maintenance dose of GLP-1 and the other half taking no medication, were recruited in and around Roanoke, Virginia. They fasted before arriving at the study and then were given a snack bar to normalize their calorie intake and stomach contents.

The researchers measured blood pressure, pulse, breath alcohol concentration and blood sugar. Ninety minutes later, participants were served an alcoholic beverage that had to be consumed within 10 minutes.

Researchers then measured alcohol in the breath and participants answered questions about cravings, appetite, alcohol effects and taste. For example, they were asked to rate, on a scale of zero to 10, “How drunk do you feel right now?” » This was repeated three times in 60 minutes.

Participants on GLP-1 consistently reported feeling less intoxicated.

After the session, participants remained in a recovery room while the alcohol was metabolized. Blood alcohol levels were measured every 30 minutes, blood sugar levels were measured twice, and three hours after the session, participants answered subjective questions again. After four hours, a breath alcohol content of less than 0.02%, and approval from the study physician, the participant was allowed to leave.

“Other medications designed to help reduce alcohol consumption” — naltrexone and acamprosate — “act on the central nervous system,” said DiFeliceantonio, the study’s corresponding author. “Our preliminary data suggest that GLP-1 suppresses their uptake by a different mechanism.”

Medications slow gastric emptying, which may cause blood alcohol levels to rise more slowly.

The idea for the study initially came about during a Fralin Biomedical Research Institute faculty retreat and was led by Warren Bickel, professor and director of the Addiction Recovery Research Center, who died in 2024.

It is based on an analysis of social media posts from the community network Reddit, in which users reported a reduction in alcohol cravings when taking medications intended to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity.

“Her guidance shaped every step of this research – from the initial idea to its final form – and her passion for scientific discovery continues to inspire me every day,” said Fatima Quddos, a graduate researcher in Bickel’s lab and first author on both studies.

“Bickel’s work has long focused on what happens when you delay rewards, so we asked, ‘What if GLP-1 affects how the body handles alcohol?'” DiFeliceantonio said. “Finishing this project was bittersweet, as it was my last collaboration with him.”

“He was always asking, ‘How can we help people as quickly as possible?’ Using a medication that has already been shown to be safe to help people reduce their alcohol consumption could be a way to get help quickly,” DiFeliceantonio said.

Although it was a pilot study, researchers said the results showed clear differences between groups and provided preliminary data that supports larger trials testing the drugs as therapy for people wanting to reduce their alcohol consumption.

“As a recent graduate, I am deeply inspired by the potential of this research, not only to advance our scientific understanding, but also to pave the way for future therapies,” said Quddos, who earned her doctorate from Virginia Tech’s Translational Biology, Medicine and Health graduate program in May.

“The opportunity to offer new hope to people struggling with addiction is what makes this work so meaningful.”