Can GLP-1s Help People Drink Less? Here’s What The Research Says
At this point, most everyone has heard about GLP-1 drugs in the context of weight loss or diabetes. But scientists are now asking a different question: could these same medications help people drink less? A growing body of research suggests the answer may be yes, and not just for alcohol. New findings presented at the 49th annual scientific meeting of the Research Society on Alcohol point to GLP-1 receptor agonists as a potential treatment for alcohol use disorder (AUD), with implications that extend to other substance use disorders as well.
What the new research shows
The new findings come from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). The team conducted multiple studies using electronic health record data from large healthcare datasets, finding that people taking GLP-1RAs reported drinking less alcohol compared with matched individuals who were not taking these medications.
These findings align with results from recent randomized clinical trials. A 2025 phase 2 double-blind trial1 enrolled 48 non-treatment-seeking adults with AUD and found that low-dose semaglutide reduced the amount of alcohol consumed, with medium to large effect sizes. Participants also showed significant reductions in drinks per day and weekly alcohol craving. A separate 26-week randomized controlled trial2 enrolled 108 participants with both AUD and obesity. Semaglutide was associated with a reduction in heavy drinking days of 41.1 percentage points from baseline, compared with 26.4 percentage points for placebo.
What makes this new study different is it's methodology. According to the press release, many previous studies on this topic have focused primarily on diagnostic codes related to alcohol use disorders. This research examined the actual quantity of alcohol consumed, providing a more direct measure of changes in drinking behavior. That distinction matters because it shifts the focus from whether someone has a diagnosis to whether they are actually drinking less.
How GLP-1s may impact other substance use disorders
Alcohol is not the only area where GLP-1 drugs are showing promise. There is "a significant and growing body of literature on the role of GLP-1 therapies in other substance use disorders, notes Lorenzo Leggio, M.D., Ph.D, a joint PI at the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, in the press release. The mechanisms behind these effects are still being studied, but researchers believe GLP-1 receptors in the brain may play a role in modulating reward pathways and cravings more broadly. We know GLP-1s aid weight loss by reducing appetite and cravings, so the medications may have the same affect for alcohol and other drugs.
A 2024 review3 found that GLP-1 receptor agonist medications show potential across multiple substance use disorders in humans, including alcohol, psychostimulants, opioids, and nicotine. Another scoping review4 of five human studies across tobacco, alcohol, and cocaine use disorders found mixed but encouraging results, with three of the five studies demonstrating positive outcomes.
The conversation is also expanding beyond semaglutide. In the press release, Leggio highlighted that there is "increasing interest in understanding the role of dual or multi-incretin therapies, such as the dual GLP-1/GIP agonist tirzepatide, in treating AUDs and other substance use disorders." Tirzepatide, sold under the brand name Mounjaro, is a dual GLP-1/GIP agonist, meaning it activates two hormone receptors instead of one.
The takeaway
This research is still early, and GLP-1 drugs are not currently approved to treat alcohol use disorder or other substance use disorders. But the trajectory of the science is exciting. If you or someone you know is managing AUD or another substance use disorder, it is worth having a conversation with a healthcare provider about the evolving research in this space, and how these medications may be used in future treatment.