Reacción a "A small clinical trial shows that semaglutide reduces the number of heavy drinking days in people with this disorder and obesity"

"The study is highly relevant. It is a solid clinical trial that directly demonstrates— for the first time in a well-controlled intervention study— that semaglutide (a GLP-1 receptor agonist) reduces alcohol consumption in patients undergoing treatment for alcohol use disorder and obesity.

These data represent a qualitative leap forward, as they go beyond the growing body of indirect evidence available so far and demonstrate the potential of GLP-1 receptor agonists as a novel treatment for alcohol use disorder. It is true that the number of patients studied is not very large and that larger randomized clinical trials in non-obese patients are not included, so the results cannot be generalized to the general population.

This finding reminds me of a recent study published in The BMJ on March 5, which analyzed data with follow-up of up to three years in more than 600,000 U.S. veterans with type 2 diabetes. That study found that treatment with GLP-1 receptor agonists is associated with a lower risk of developing disorders related to alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, nicotine, or opioid use.

Now, in the case of alcohol, the study demonstrates a causal effect of the drug, although, for the moment, only in people with obesity, so it is not yet generalizable to the entire population".

Does the press release accurately reflect the study?
“Yes.”

Is the study of good quality?
“Yes. Although the number of patients studied is limited and the results cannot be considered generalizable to people without obesity.”

How does this work fit with existing evidence?
“It clearly fits; in my previous comment I explain its connection with a recent, larger study, though not a controlled intervention.”

Are there important limitations to consider?
“A key limitation in this study is that it does not provide follow-up data on alcohol consumption after week 26. What happens to alcohol consumption after the trial ends? Another limitation is that the study population is not very diverse (predominantly white) and includes only people with obesity.”

What are the real-world implications?
“Very important, if confirmed and generalized.”