TOPLINE

Nearly half of the individuals who were drinking when they started using GLP-1 receptor agonists (RAs) reported drinking less within 3 months, with higher odds among those who screened positive for potentially unhealthy past-year alcohol use, US survey data showed.

METHODOLOGY

• Researchers conducted a nationally representative survey of the RAND American Life Panel in 2026.
• Participants (N = 2009; mean age, 48.8 years; 59.6% women) were asked about their experience with GLP-1 RAs, alcohol consumption patterns, and awareness of the potential effects of these medications on drinking behavior.
• 368 respondents reported current or past use of GLP-1 RAs for weight loss or treatment of chronic conditions.
• Researchers assessed self-reported changes in alcohol consumption during the first 3 months after starting GLP-1 RA treatment among participants who were drinking at the time of medication initiation (n = 242).
• They examined the factors associated with reported reductions in alcohol consumption, including potentially unhealthy past-year alcohol use (≥ 1 day of heavy drinking), sex, age, income, race and ethnicity, and general health status.

TAKEAWAY

• Among the participants who were drinking at the time of GLP-1 RA initiation, 44.2% reported drinking less, 52.6% reported no change in their alcohol consumption, and 3.3% reported drinking more during the first 3 months after starting treatment.
• Overall, 37.3% of participants screened positive for potentially unhealthy alcohol use in the previous year. Among GLP-1 RA users with a positive screen for potentially unhealthy drinking at medication initiation (n = 129), 54.1% reported drinking less, 40.2% reported no change in their alcohol consumption, and 5.7% reported drinking more during the first 3 months after starting treatment.
• Participants with potentially unhealthy alcohol use were more likely to report reduced alcohol consumption within 3 months of GLP-1 RA initiation (adjusted odds ratio, 2.30; P = .01) and had a greater probability of being aware that GLP-1 RAs may lower the urge to drink (P = .01).
• Only 9.7% of all participants were aware that GLP-1 RAs may lower the urge to drink, whereas 79.3% and 45.7% of all participants were aware of their weight-loss effects and blood glucose control benefits, respectively.

IN PRACTICE

"Although large clinical trials are needed to draw conclusions about the relationship between GLP-1 RAs and alcohol use, it is notable that such a large fraction of GLP-1 users in our survey reported reductions," the authors wrote.

SOURCE

The study was led by Lori Uscher-Pines, PhD, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode Island. It was published online on October 14 as a Research Letter in JAMA Psychiatry.

LIMITATIONS

The study was limited by potential recall and social desirability bias and reliance on self-reported data.

DISCLOSURES

The study was funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Disclosure information for the study investigators is available in the original study publication.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.