The same medications transforming weight loss and diabetes care may also affect how people experience alcohol.
A small study from Virginia Tech’s Fralin Biomedical Research Institute found that people taking GLP-1 receptor agonists, drugs sold under brand names like Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro, absorbed alcohol more slowly and felt less intoxicated than those not on the medications.
“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 Center for Health Behaviors Research. “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.”
The study, published in Scientific Reports, included 20 adults with obesity, half taking a maintenance dose of GLP-1 medication and half taking none. All participants consumed a controlled amount of alcohol after a standardized snack. Despite similar doses designed to raise blood alcohol levels to about 0.08 percent, the GLP-1 group’s levels rose more slowly, and they consistently reported feeling less intoxicated on a 10-point scale.
GLP-1 drugs are known to slow digestion, which may explain the delayed rise in alcohol concentration. The researchers say this slower absorption could reduce cravings and the brain’s reward response, offering a new mechanism to explore for alcohol-use reduction.
“Other medications designed to help reduce alcohol intake act on the central nervous system,” DiFeliceantonio said. “Our preliminary data suggest that GLP-1s suppress intake through a different mechanism.”
Although the findings come from a pilot study, the results add to growing evidence that GLP-1 drugs affect more than appetite and blood sugar. A larger trial will be needed to confirm whether these drugs could eventually be used to help people who want to cut back on drinking.
The idea for the project originated from online reports of people saying they felt less inclined to drink while taking the medications. DiFeliceantonio and her colleagues wanted to test those experiences in a controlled setting.
“Using a drug that’s already shown to be safe to help people reduce drinking could be a way to get people help fast,” she said.
This research was supported by Virginia Tech’s Fralin Biomedical Research Institute.