Scientists Say Ozempic Could Change How You Feel After Drinking Alcohol
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Drugs used for diabetes and weight loss may also dampen alcohol's effects by slowing how fast it enters the bloodstream. Early research suggests this could help people feel less intoxicated and potentially drink less.
Evidence is growing that medications commonly prescribed for diabetes and weight loss, better known by brand names like Ozempic and Wegovy, may also help reduce alcohol consumption.
New findings from the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, published this month in Scientific Reports, suggest that GLP-1 agonists slow the rate at which alcohol enters the bloodstream. As a result, alcohol's effects on the brain also appear to develop more slowly.
"People who drink know there's a difference between nursing a glass of wine and downing a shot of whiskey," said Alex DiFeliceantonio, assistant professor and interim co-director of the FBRI's Center for Health Behaviors Research.
Even though both drinks contain the same amount of alcohol, 0.6 ounces, a shot causes blood alcohol levels to rise much faster. That rapid increase changes how alcohol feels because of the way the body absorbs and processes it over time.
"Why would this matter? Faster-acting drugs have a higher abuse potential," DiFeliceantonio said. "They have a different impact on the brain. So if GLP-1s slow alcohol entering the bloodstream, they could reduce the effects of alcohol and help people drink less."
Alcohol use is widespread in the United States, with more than half of adults reporting that they drink. About one in ten people meets the criteria for alcohol use disorder. Long-term heavy drinking is linked to serious health problems, including high blood pressure, cancer, and heart and liver disease. In January, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued an advisory naming alcohol use as the third leading preventable cause of cancer, after tobacco use and obesity.
In the study, participants who took GLP-1 medications such as semaglutide, tirzepatide, or liraglutide showed a slower increase in breath alcohol concentration, even though they consumed the same amount of alcohol as others. Their alcohol levels rose more gradually, and they also reported feeling less intoxicated based on their own assessments.
The research was supported by funding from Virginia Tech's Fralin Biomedical Research Institute and focused on how alcohol moves through the body and how it feels subjectively for people taking GLP-1 drugs. Researchers say the results offer early guidance for designing larger and more detailed studies on whether these medications could be used to help reduce alcohol use.
The study included 20 adults with a BMI of 30 or higher. Half of the participants were taking a maintenance dose of a GLP-1 medication, while the other half were not taking any medication. All participants were recruited from Roanoke, Virginia, and nearby communities. They fasted before arriving and were given a snack bar to keep caloric intake and stomach contents consistent.
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