Weight-loss drug patients experience side effect that feels 'effortless' after just four months, finds study

It's pretty common knowledge that weight gain and alcohol consumption go hand in hand. The issue is, for many of us the weight is hard to shift - you change up your diet, eat better, do more, and somehow you keep putting on the weight.

But what if there was a way to deal with your weight and alcohol consumption at the same time?

Even if you don't want to quit drinking, the simple fact is that alcohol isn't just high in calories, but it also slows down your body's metabolism too, leading to weight gain (particularly around the abdomen).

Turns out weight loss jabs can have an unexpected side-effect (Getty Stock Images)

According to a recent study in Ireland, patients that have been taking weight loss jabs liraglutide or semaglutide (also known as GLP-1) have reportedly seen an 'effortless' reduction in their alcohol intake.

As part of their research, Professor Carel le Roux, of University College Dublin, and their colleagues in Ireland and Saudi Arabia collected data from 262 obese patients who had been prescribed liraglutide or semaglutide for weight loss.

The team then categorised the patients based on the amount of alcohol they consumed before starting the treatment. They then categorised them further into non-drinkers, rare drinkers, and regular drinkers, based on what the patients have reported they consume per week.

When following up on patients' alcohol intake, the team noticed a significant reduction in their alcohol consumption over the course of four months, with the overall average reduction sitting at around 68 percent.

Professor le Roux stated "Among the regular drinkers, intake decreased from 23.2 units/week to 7.8 units/week. This reduction of 68 percent is comparable to that achieved by nalmefene, a drug used to treat alcohol use disorder in Europe."

Adding: “The exact mechanism of how GLP-1 analogues reduce alcohol intake is still being investigated but it is thought to involve curbing cravings for alcohol that arise in subcortical areas of the brain that are not under conscious control. Thus, patients report the effects are ‘effortless’.”

Patients reported their alcohol reduction was 'effortless' (Getty Stock Images)

The study's findings, which are being presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Malaga, pitches GLP-1 weight loss jabs as a 'potential therapeutic role' for people who are obese and drink alcohol regularly. But, they have also stressed that large trials are needed in order to validate the results.

While there are already treatments in place for those who consume too much alcohol already, such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), they tend to only be successful in the short-term with around 70 percent of patients relapsing within the first year.

If further trails are successful, this could be a massive step forward into helping patients with obesity and their alcohol consumption.