NEW YORK / LOS ANGELES — Researchers have long known that GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy reduce appetite and help patients lose weight. But a landmark study published in The BMJ this spring has revealed something nobody expected: these same drugs appear to fight addiction itself — across every major addictive substance, from alcohol to cocaine to opioids.
The study, led by clinical epidemiologist Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly of the VA St. Louis Health Care System, analyzed the electronic health records of 606,434 U.S. veterans with type 2 diabetes. It is the largest study of its kind ever conducted.
