New research led by experts at the University of Nottingham has found that certain types of medication used to treat diabetes may be effective in reducing alcohol use.
The study looked at whether a type of diabetes medication called GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) could also help people reduce their drinking.
The study was led by Dr Mohsen Subhani, Clinical Assistant Professor of Gastroenterology at the NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, in the School of Medicine, at the University of Nottingham. It was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and the NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre.
In the new study, researchers evaluated existing literature on GLP-1 RAs use and the change in alcohol consumption.
They gathered studies up to August 2024 that examined whether GLP-1 RAs affect alcohol use, alcohol-related health problems, hospital visits, and brain reactions to alcohol cues. The team evaluated six articles, including two randomised control trials made up of 88,190 participants, of these 38,740 (43.9%) of participants received GLP-1RA.
Dr Subhani said: “Our findings show that this type of diabetes medication shows promise in reducing alcohol consumption, potentially by targeting the brain’s reward centre, especially in people with a BMI over 30.”
The key findings:
In one prominent study, the medication exenatide did not significantly reduce drinking overall after six months, but people with obesity showed some positive results.
Another study found that people taking the drug dulaglutide were 29% more likely to reduce drinking than those on a placebo.
Observational studies (non-randomised) showed fewer alcohol-related health problems and lower alcohol use in people taking GLP-1 RAs compared to other treatments.
“Whilst further research is needed, our findings suggest this could be a potential treatment option in the future for excessive alcohol use and subsequently could lead to a reduction in alcohol-related deaths,” adds Dr Subhani.
The Dark Side of Autism series covers aspects of Autism that are often misrepresented or overlooked. In this video, I discuss the impact of alcohol and share stories of its original appeal.
Quitting alcohol may improve health-related quality of life for women, especially their mental well-being, according to a study from Hong Kong published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).
“More evidence suggests caution in recommending moderate drinking as part of a healthy diet,” says Dr. Michael Ni, School of Public Health and The State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, University of Hong Kong (HKU).
The study carried out by Dr. Xiaoxin Yao, Dr. Michael Ni, Dr. Herbert Pang and colleagues at HKU included 10 386 people from the FAMILY Cohort in Hong Kong who were nondrinkers or moderate drinkers (14 drinks or less per week for men and 7 drinks or less per week for women) between 2009 and 2013. The researchers compared their findings with data from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions, a representative survey of 31 079 people conducted by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism in the United States.
The mean age of participants in the FAMILY Cohort was 49 years and 56% were women. About 64% of men were nondrinkers (abstainers and former drinkers) and almost 88% of women were nondrinkers. Men and women who were lifetime abstainers had the highest level of mental well-being at the start of the study (baseline). For women who were moderate drinkers and quit drinking, quitting was linked to a favourable change in mental well-being in both Chinese and American study populations. These results were apparent after adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, body mass index, smoking status, and other factors.
“Global alcohol consumption is expected to continue to increase unless effective strategies are employed,” says Dr. Ni. “Our findings suggest caution in recommendations that moderate drinking could improve health-related quality of life. Instead, quitting drinking may be associated with a more favourable change in mental well-being, approaching the level of lifetime abstainers.”
“Change in moderate alcohol consumption and quality of life: evidence from 2 population-based cohorts” is published July 8, 2019.
Screening and outpatient clinic appointments may offer opportunity to
improve knowledge
Women’s awareness of alcohol’s role in boosting breast cancer risk is poor, indicates research published in the online journal BMJ Open.
Only one in five women attending breast clinics and screening appointments
and only half of the staff questioned at one NHS UK centre knew that alcohol is
a risk factor for breast cancer, the findings show.
This low level of awareness may not be the same everywhere, caution the
researchers. But they nevertheless suggest that understanding of modifiable
risk factors for the disease needs to be increased: breast clinic and screening
appointments may offer the opportunity to do that.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK, with more than 54,000 new cases diagnosed and 11,000 deaths every year. Lifestyle factors account for nearly a quarter of all cases, with alcohol consumption and obesity topping the list.
Alcohol consumption is estimated to be responsible for between 5% and 11% of
cases, with the risk increasing in tandem with the amount consumed, say the
researchers.
They wanted to find out if women and staff using breast care services would
find the provision of brief information on the health risks associated with
alcohol acceptable.
They particularly wanted to know about prevailing levels of awareness of
alcohol’s role in breast cancer risk; and whether women were able to correctly
identify alcohol units in drinks.
They drew on questionnaire and verbal feedback from 102 women attending for
breast screening, 103 attending breast clinics because of symptoms, and 33
clinical staff at one UK NHS breast care centre.
Knowledge of modifiable risk factors was more or less the same in both
patient groups. Around a third of participants (30%) in each group recognised
obesity as a risk factor and one in two correctly identified smoking as
another.
But only around one in six (16%) in the screening group, and around one in
four (23%) in the breast clinic group knew that alcohol is a risk factor.
Between 60% and 73% of the women said they drank alcohol. Awareness of its
role in upping breast cancer risk was significantly more likely among the
breast clinic women (35%) than it was among those coming for screening
(4%).
Only just over half of those who said they drank alcohol (88 out of 152;
58%) thought they knew how to estimate the alcohol content of drinks, although
less than three quarters correctly estimated the alcohol content of a
standard glass of wine, and just over half the amount in a pint of beer.
Asked how they felt about a 5-minute cancer prevention information session
at either screening or breast clinic appointments, nearly a third (30.5%) of
all the women said it would make them more likely to attend while more than two
thirds (69.5%) said it would make no difference.
The preferred option, stated by 40%, was for a trained nurse to give them
this information. But they voiced some concerns about feeling stigmatised and
‘blamed’ for drinking.
Clinical staff had better levels of awareness of breast cancer risk factors
than patients, but they also had gaps in their knowledge.
Obesity was correctly identified as a risk factor by 58% (19 out of 33) of
those asked, but only around half (52%) knew that alcohol also posed a risk.
And less than half (45%) said they knew how much alcohol was in a drink.
But they cited various drawbacks to providing preventive information,
including extra time and resource; the potential to make people anxious and
contribute to the ‘worried well’ culture; as well as fears that it could come
across as blaming and/or patronising.
The researchers acknowledge that the study involved only one breast care
centre, and so may not be applicable elsewhere. And they recognise that
substantial cultural and systemic changes might be needed to introduce such an
approach.
But they write: “Over 20% of women aged 45 to 64 reportedly drink more than
14 units per week, so any intervention to reduce population level consumption
could have a significant influence on breast cancer rates, as well as help to
manage the side effects of treatment and improve the overall health of
survivors.”
Few considered how drinking excessively may affect parenting the next day
Most parents planned for transportation and childcare on the night of a special event but fewer considered how drinking excessively may affect parenting the next day.
Parents may plan for transportation and childcare ahead of holiday gatherings but are they prepared for a potential, day-after “parenting hangover?”
A quarter of parents of young children who drink alcohol on special occasions do not think about limiting how much they drink or whether they’ll be able to take care of their child the next day, according to a report from the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health at the University of Michigan.
The nationally-representative report is based on responses from 1,170 parents with at least one child ages 0-9 years.
Three in 10 parents (29 percent) also said they know of an adult who may have caused an unsafe situation for their child due to drinking alcohol at a special celebration. These parents were most concerned that the other adult was too impaired or hung over to supervise their child (61 percent) or to handle a possible emergency (48 percent); and less commonly that the adult drove with a child while impaired (37 percent), got violent or out of control in front of the child (28 percent), or injured the child (7 percent).
Another 1 in 12 parents (8 percent) admitted to a prior situation where they may have been too impaired from alcohol to take care of their parenting responsibilities. About the same proportion of mothers and fathers acknowledged a prior lapse in judgment related to alcohol.
“Most parents planning to drink alcoholic beverages on a night out arrange for a designated driver and childcare for the event itself,” says poll co-director Sarah Clark. “Fewer parents may consider how their alcohol consumption could impact parenting responsibilities to their young children the next day.”
Most parents reported drinking alcoholic beverages during special events, either often (27 percent), sometimes (36 percent) or rarely (17 percent). Among those, 73 percent said they were very likely to make plans in advance for someone to watch their child during the event, and 68 percent were very likely to plan for safe transportation.
However, just 47 percent were very likely to think in advance about how much they will drink, and 64 percent said they are very likely to make plans for someone to take care of their child the day after the event.
“The amount of alcohol consumed can affect parenting the next day,” Clark says. “A parent passed out on the couch will not be effective in recognizing and reacting to the everyday safety risks that occur with children.”
One particularly interesting finding: Parents who said they drink rarely were less likely to plan in advance for childcare and transportation the night of the special event and childcare responsibilities the following day compared to parents who drink sometimes or often.
However, even rare instances of celebrating with can have serious consequences for children, Clark says.
Parents may prevent overindulging by alternating alcoholic drinks with non-alcoholic drinks, Clark notes. But if they aren’t sure whether their alcohol consumption may impair parenting abilities, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
“Parents who plan to drink alcoholic beverages during an outing should plan ahead for transportation to ensure they arrive home safely,” Clark says.
“If alcohol use may potentially impact their ability to take care of their children the following day, parents may also consider childcare arrangements. Having children stay the night at a relative’s home or asking a grandparent to stay overnight are options to ensure young children are in a safe and supervised environment.”
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