Ozempic and Similar Drugs May Offer Health Benefits Beyond Weight Loss, Including Reduced Alcohol Cravings
From heart and kidney health to addiction reduction, GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro may help with more than just weight loss
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Stock image of someone using Ozempic.Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and similar medications for Type 2 diabetes and weight loss may help with other conditions as well
Heart disease, kidney health, infertility and even addictive impulses are thought to be improved by the medications
But some of these conditions improve with weight loss regardless of medication, experts say
Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro may offer serious health benefits beyond weight loss.
The GLP-1 medications have been linked to decreased risks of heart disease, kidney disease and Alzheimer’s disease, as well as increased fertility and a reduction in alcohol cravings. However, Dr. Armando E. Castro-Tié, System Vice Chair, Surgery, for Northwell Health, tells PEOPLE that some conditions improved by anti-obesity drugs are related to weight loss, not the drugs themselves.
“Diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, all of those things — they can get better, but that's because of the weight loss,” Castro-Tié tells PEOPLE. “The common channel here is weight loss is leading to improvements in all of these things.”
Below are some of the conditions that anti-obesity medications may help improve:
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Stock image of an older person using a wheelchair.Heart Disease
GLP-1 medications seem to be good for the heart. Medicare announced that it will cover semaglutide medication Wegovy for heart disease — not weight loss — after a clinical trial showed it reduced the risk of heart problems for overweight people by 20%. And a large, well-known study showed that in patients with type 2 diabetes who were at high cardiovascular risk, the rate of cardiovascular death, heart attack, or stroke was significantly lower among patients receiving semaglutide than among those receiving a placebo.
As Castro-Tié explains, “The common goal in treating individuals that are struggling with their weight is getting them to lose that excess weight so that their bodies don't have to work harder. Their hearts don't have to work harder.”
Kidney Health
People taking semaglutide had a 24% lower chance of having a major kidney disease event than those taking a placebo, according to results published in the New England Journal of Medicine. They were less likely to need dialysis or a kidney transplant, less likely to lose half of their kidney function, and less likely to die from kidney-related or cardiovascular issues.
Alzheimer’s Disease
A recent study linked semaglutide to lower risks of Alzheimer's disease in people with type 2 diabetes. But it's too early to say that Ozempic can help Alzheimer’s, Castro-Tié tells PEOPLE.
“We need to do some randomized control studies to make sure that B is happening because of A. It's certainly worth exploring,” he says, adding that it’s time for “meaningful and well-designed research” to determine if Ozempic can slow the progression of the disease.
Fertility
“Ozempic babies” are making headlines, as women who said they’ve struggled with infertility are now getting pregnant while taking the drug. But as Dr. Iman Saleh, an obstetrician and gynecologist, and Director of Obesity Medicine at the Bariatrics Department at Northwell, told PEOPLE, this is due to weight loss — not the medication alone. “Even if it's a 5-lb., 10-lb. weight loss, this can actually have patients resume ovulation and be able to get pregnant.”
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Stock image of someone weighing themselves.Related: Chelsea Handler 'Didn't Know' She Was on Ozempic, Says Her Doctor 'Just Hands It Out to Anybody'
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Symptoms of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) may be improved while on tirzepatide. Known by the brand name Mounjaro, it’s been prescribed off-label to help with symptoms of PCOS, a hormone condition that causes irregular periods, excess hair growth, acne, weight gain and infertility. While weight loss certainly can impact hormone levels, the medication’s impact on insulin is the driving force behind improved symptoms.
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Stock image of Ozempic.Alcohol and Drug Addiction
In the same way that GLP-1 drugs reduce food cravings, they also seem to reduce cravings for drugs and alcohol. A study in the journal Addiction found that people addicted to alcohol who took Ozempic or similar medications had a 50% lower rate of binging on alcohol than those who did not. And people with opioid use disorder who were taking the medications had a 40% lower rate of opioid overdose.
“Some patients report that they have less desire to drink alcohol," Ania Jastreboff, M.D., PhD., an obesity medicine physician scientist at Yale University who was not involved in the study, told PEOPLE. In fact, Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of Ozempic, announced plans to study whether or not the drug can impact someone’s desire for alcohol.
However, Castro-Tié says the drug could have the opposite effect for some people. “Patients aren't able to consume a large volume of food, but they're looking for other ways to get that high, they're looking for other ways to get the serotonin," he says. “Sometimes that addiction is transferred to something else."
He adds, “It speaks to the importance of making sure that we surround our patients with care — not just medical, clinical care, but also mental health care and the social support that they need.”
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