New Delhi, May 10
Medications such as liraglutide or semaglutide taken for weight loss also have the potential to reduce alcohol consumption by almost two-thirds, according to new research.
Alcohol use disorder is a relapsing condition that accounts for 2.6 million deaths a year -- 4.7 per cent of all deaths globally.
Treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), therapies that aim to strengthen motivation to stop or reduce drinking, and medication can be very successful in the short term, however, 70 per cent of patients relapse within the first year.
The study showed that Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analogues -- drugs developed to treat obesity -- likely curb alcohol cravings in the brain.
Average alcohol intake decreased from 11.3 units/week to 4.3 units/week after four months of treatment with the GLP-1 analogues a reduction of almost two-thirds.
Among the regular alcohol drinkers, intake decreased from 23.2 units/week to 7.8 units/week in four months.
This reduction of 68 per cent is comparable to that achieved by nalmefene -- a drug used to treat alcohol use disorder in Europe, said Professor Carel le Roux, of University College Dublin, Ireland.
"The exact mechanism of how GLP-1 analogues reduce alcohol intake is still being investigated, but it is thought to involve curbing cravings for alcohol that arise in subcortical areas of the brain that are not under conscious control. Thus, patients report the effects are 'effortless'," Roux said.