Ozempic, GLP-1 Medicine Might Assist Deal with Substance Use Issues

A new examine printed in the present day in Habit means that Ozempic and comparable drugs might be able to assist with therapy for opioid and alcohol use issues.

The big examine analyzed extra 500,000 folks with a historical past of opioid use dysfunction and greater than 800,000 with alcohol use dysfunction. Outcomes present that those that took Ozempic or an analogous GLP-1 receptor agonist drug (that are permitted to deal with situations resembling kind 2 diabetes or weight problems) had a 40 p.c decrease probability of overdosing on opioids and a 50 p.c decrease threat of getting drunk in comparison with those that did not take the treatment.

Lead analysis writer Fares Qeadan, PhD, an affiliate professor of public well being sciences at Loyola College Chicago, says this analysis may supply a brand new resolution for treating substance use issues.

“Historically, substance use dysfunction therapies deal with addressing the signs and physiological results of substance use immediately,” Qeadan tells Effectively+Good. “GLP-1 receptor agonists, nonetheless, seem to work on the mind’s reward pathways, doubtlessly lowering cravings and the probability of extreme outcomes like overdose and intoxication.”

Qeadan says the accessibility of GLP-1s is one other constructive issue in the event that they turn out to be a professional therapy possibility for substance use.

“There’s a stigma surrounding among the present drugs used to deal with opioid and alcohol use issues, together with entry boundaries for a lot of sufferers,” Qeadan says. “GLP-1 receptor agonists may present a extra broadly accepted therapy various, doubtlessly enhancing entry and lowering stigma round looking for therapy for substance use issues.”

Extra analysis is critical to show that GLP-1 drugs immediately decrease the chance of opioid overdose and alcohol intoxication. People looking for these medicine as a therapy possibility must wait till there’s approval from the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration (FDA).

“Moreover, research exploring optimum dosing, long-term results, and any potential uncomfortable side effects are essential,” Qeadan says. “Neuroimaging analysis may additionally assist us perceive precisely how these drugs work together with reward pathways associated to substance use. Increasing analysis to different substance use issues, resembling stimulant or nicotine dependence, would additional make clear the broader applicability of those drugs.”

In the event you’re coping with alcohol or substance use dysfunction, assist is accessible. Name the Substance Abuse and Psychological Well being Companies Administration’s (SAMHSA) Nationwide Helpline at 1-800-662-4357 or go to samhsa.gov for extra data and sources.