04/30/2026
GLP-1 : More than just an appetite suppressant
Intense research
GLP-1 medications are already producing surprising long-term health benefits in areas other than weight loss. Wegovy may lower the risk of serious heart problems such as heart attack and stroke by 20%, the drug's manufacturer reported in August 2023. The trial involving 18,000 people — not yet published as of September 2023 — is apparently the first to show that GLP-1 drugs can confer heart health benefits for people who are overweight but don't have diabetes.
Other research is beginning to unwrap the drugs' potential to quell alcohol abuse and smoking. A September 2022 study of 127 adults published in the journal JCI Insight suggested that people with both obesity and alcohol use disorder who were treated with a GLP-1 drug called exenatide (Byetta, Bydureon) drank dramatically less than those who received only a placebo drug. Participants who received exenatide also displayed significantly less activation of the brain's reward centers when shown pictures of alcohol while undergoing functional MRI scans.
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https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/beyond-appetite-suppression