Survey: 44% of drinkers who started a GLP-1 drug say they cut back on alcohol in the first three months
In a JAMA Psychiatry research letter, 53% of people who drank reported no change and only 3% said they drank more; people with potentially unhealthy drinking were more likely to report cutting down.
GLP-1 receptor agonists, the drug class behind popular diabetes and weight-loss medicines, are being studied for effects on alcohol use. A research letter in JAMA Psychiatry, summarised by JAMA on 30 October 2026, adds survey data.
The study
- An online survey of about 2,000 adults.
- More than 200 of them were drinking alcohol when they started a GLP-1 drug.
Findings
- 44% said they drank less in the first three months on the medicine.
- 53% reported no change, and only 3% said they drank more.
- People with potentially unhealthy alcohol use were more likely to report drinking less.
- Only about 1 in 10 participants had heard that GLP-1 drugs might affect drinking.
The results fit earlier studies suggesting these medicines may reduce alcohol use.
Limitations
This is a survey based on self-report, not a randomised trial: people may misremember or under-report drinking, the subgroup of drinkers was small (about 200), and there was no comparison group, so the drop cannot be attributed to the drug with certainty. GLP-1 drugs are not approved for treating alcohol use disorder. Talk to your doctor before starting or changing any medicine.
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