Top in endocrinology: GLP-1s have positive effects on alcohol intake, kidney disease

Researchers found that patients who participated in an obesity management program and were taking weight-loss medication reported drinking less alcohol.

Reduced alcohol intake occurred particularly in patients with higher body weight and those who reported high levels of drinking at baseline. The study surveyed 14,053 participants at the time of their obesity medication prescription and collected data on age, weight, race and weekly alcohol use.

“Anecdotally, we were hearing from patients that they were just not interested in alcohol,” Michelle I. Cardel, PhD, MS, RD, FTOS, chief nutrition officer of WeightWatchers and adjunct professor at the University of Florida, told Healio.

“Their cravings were reduced. When they did drink, it made them feel awful, and we were hearing that they were drinking a lot less than they were before they started taking anti-obesity medications,” Cardel said. “When we looked at the data, we were really surprised to see that the majority of folks were decreasing alcohol intake.”

The researchers found that across all obesity medication classes, 45% to 51% of participants reported reduced weekly drinking, especially women.

It was the top story in endocrinology last week.

The second top story took an in-depth look at the effects of semaglutide on chronic kidney disease in patients with diabetes. According to Richard E. Pratley, MD, data from the FLOW trial may spur more use of GLP-1 receptor agonists in patients with kidney disease because of their mortality benefits.

Read these and more top stories in endocrinology below:

Obesity drugs could help lower alcohol intake

Obesity medications, regardless of class or generation, were associated with reduced alcohol intake among individuals participating in a telehealth weight-loss program, a speaker reported at ObesityWeek. Read more.

Semaglutide could be ‘practice changing’ for adults with diabetes, CKD

The GLP-1 receptor agonist semaglutide may not only add another therapeutic option for chronic kidney disease, but it could also lead to changes in the way clinicians treat the condition. Read more.

Obesity and MASLD increase risk for youth-onset type 2 diabetes

Children with obesity have increased risk for type 2 diabetes if they are diagnosed with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, according to findings published in Diabetes Care. Read more.

Fasting during night shift better maintains glucose tolerance vs. eating meals, snacks

Healthy adults who fasted for the entirety of simulated night-shift work displayed compensatory hyperinsulinemia and maintained glucose tolerance compared with participants who consumed a meal or snack, study results showed. Read more.

Historical redlining tied to higher obesity prevalence through lack of food access

Structural racism, as measured by historical redlining, was tied to a higher prevalence of obesity by reducing food access for people from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds, according to a presentation at ObesityWeek. Read more.