The case in summary Ozempic, a medicine developed for type 2 diabetes, shows potential to reduce serious drug-related problems such as alcohol poisoning and overdoses. Research has shown that those who had a prescription for Ozempic and similar medications had 40 percent fewer overdoses and 50 percent fewer cases of alcohol poisoning. The researchers believe that the active substances in these medicines probably affect the areas of the brain that have to do with reward and addiction. Despite the promising findings, the researchers emphasize that more studies are needed to confirm the effectiveness and safety of these drugs in the treatment of addiction. There are also concerns about potential side effects, such as increased appetite and weight gain, when stopping the medication. Researcher Jørgen Bramness warns against getting too excited, and points out that it is uncertain whether the medicine will have the same effect on people who do not have type 2 diabetes or obesity. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAI. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. Ozempic is basically a medicine developed against diabetes 2. But since it also reduces appetite, it has also been used as a slimming medicine. Now it may turn out that it, and similar anti-obesity drugs, can also be effective against something completely different. Namely alcohol poisoning and drug overdoses. – We lack good treatment options in this area. That’s according to senior researcher Jørgen G. Bramness at the Institute of Public Health (FHI). The new research is published in the journal Addiction this week. Oxycontin is a drug that is easy to become addicted to. The medicine belongs to the group of opioids. Photo: Seth Wenig / AP Opioids and alcohol Until now, most studies on addiction and semaglutide have dealt with animals. A few small clinical studies have also been carried out. But the new research in the area stands out. Here they have examined approximately 1.3 million people. Everyone has a history of addiction to opioids or alcohol. Half a million of the participants were or had been addicted to drugs. The study shows that those who had a prescription for Ozempic and the like had 40 per cent fewer overdoses than the rest. The remaining 817,309 people struggled with alcohol abuse. Here, 5,621 had a prescription for such a medicine. And these had 50 percent fewer cases of alcohol poisoning compared to those who did not have a prescription. – This shows that such medicines have a clear potential to reduce serious drug-related problems. That’s what researcher Fares Qeadan writes in an e-mail to news. A tabloid explanation Jørgen Bramness is a drug researcher. He himself has a desire to research how the active ingredient in Ozempic works on people who are addicted to alcohol. That is why he is especially interested in studies like this. – What is new is that they show that it can also affect opioid use. Bramness says there is a tabloid explanation of how the drugs work. Namely that they reduce the appetite for “everything”. But still, it does not give a good explanation of how this can affect addiction to alcohol and drugs. – I have hope that this is an alternative for the treatment of alcohol dependence syndrome. But of course it must be tested properly, he adds. Jørgen Bramness thinks the new study is exciting. He could have thought of researching something similar himself. Photo: Lilli Storrønningen Ulvehunger On the alcohol side, the researcher believes there is a lack of “democratic” treatment. That is, an alternative to use for people who cannot or are not interested in psychotherapy or long-term treatment options. He says that there are some reports of people getting starving when they stop taking Ozempic and similar drugs. That they get a kind of withdrawal and start eating a lot. – If the same were to be the case in the area of drugs, then it is something we absolutely must take with us. It is important to know whether people should start binge drinking or take overdoses when they stop. Figures from this year show that young people drink less alcohol. Norwegian 15-16-year-olds who state that they have drunk alcohol have decreased steadily since the turn of the millennium, according to the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. Photo: Gorm Kallestad / NTB Need for more research The researchers behind the new study are based at Loyola University in Chicago, USA. In an e-mail to news, Fares Qeadan writes that they hope the findings can help drug addicts in the long term. – This could potentially function as an addition to the treatment that is given today. The study is an observational study and the figures are taken from a large American data set. This means that they cannot draw conclusions about the cause and connection between such drugs and overdoses. – The active substances probably affect the areas of the brain that have to do with reward and addiction. Dampening the cues can help reduce cravings and compulsive behaviors associated with drug use. In this way, the likelihood of overdoses and poisoning is reduced. Qeadan emphasizes that although the findings are promising, more studies are needed to determine whether these drugs actually work as they appear. And that it safe. – Never as good as it looks Jørgen Bramness believes that these medicines may affect other things than just alcohol poisoning. Because alcohol has a wide range of negative effects on health. He calls himself a cautious optimist, but warns against taking joy in advance. – I have been part of so many “this is interesting” waves in my 30 years in this industry. And there will be setbacks. It’s never as good as it seems. In the new study, initially only people with type 2 diabetes or obesity have used medications such as Ozempic. – It is not certain that it works like that for other people, says Bramness. In addition, the Norwegian researcher says that especially people who are addicted to alcohol are often underweight. And then a medicine that also causes you to lose weight may not be the right treatment. Published 21.10.2024, at 06.14
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New study shows that Ozempic can prevent overdoses and alcohol poisoning – news Trøndelag – Local news, TV and radio
