GLP-1 receptor agonists may reduce the risk of developing and dying from substance use disorders, a study found.
The study, led by researchers at St. Louis-based WashU Medicine and published March 4 in The BMJ, analyzed data from more than 600,000 veterans with Type 2 diabetes. Compared to patients taking other diabetes medications, GLP-1 users had a 14% lower risk of developing any substance use disorder. Risk declined by 18% for alcohol, 14% for cannabis, 20% for cocaine and nicotine and 25% for opioids.
Among veterans with preexisting substance use disorders, GLP-1 use was associated with 30% fewer emergency department visits, 25% fewer hospitalizations, 40% fewer overdoses and 50% fewer drug-related deaths over a three-year period.
The medications studied included semaglutide, liraglutide and dulaglutide, according to a March 4 news release from the health system. Researchers estimated seven fewer new diagnoses and 12 fewer serious harm events per 1,000 GLP-1 users compared to nonusers.
Ziyad Al-Aly, MD, a WashU Medicine epidemiologist and chief of the research and development service at the VA Saint Louis Health Care System,said in the release the findings suggest GLP-1s may suppress cravings across addictive substances by targeting a shared biological pathway, opening the door to future clinical trials for treating addiction directly.
