Overview
- The peer-reviewed study, published Oct. 15 in Scientific Reports, was conducted by Virginia Tech’s Fralin Biomedical Research Institute.
- In 20 adults with obesity, those taking semaglutide, tirzepatide, or liraglutide showed a slower rise in breath alcohol concentration despite doses targeted to reach 0.08% BAC.
- Participants on GLP-1 medications reported feeling less intoxicated during testing and, in one report, lower alcohol craving before and after the session.
- Authors propose a peripheral mechanism based on delayed gastric emptying, a contrast with alcohol-use medications like naltrexone and acamprosate that act on the central nervous system.
- The study was a small, non-randomized pilot with locally recruited participants, and the team calls for larger randomized trials, with multiple GLP-1 addiction studies already in progress.