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 hospitalizations 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 hospitalization. Both dru.