Tag: GLP-1 agonists

Reading of the Week: GLP-1 Receptor Agonists for Obesity & Alcohol – the New Lancet Study; Also, Drs. Liao and Fombonne on Autism Overdiagnosis

May 7, 2026 / / 1 Comment

From the Editor

It could be lifesaving for those with diabetes. And many others are taking GLP-1 receptor agonists, ranging from people with medical conditions such as obesity to those who have cosmetic interests. GLP-1 receptor agonists are having a moment. Could they also be helpful for patients with substance problems? Some small studies suggest yes.

In a major new Lancet study, Dr. Mette Kruse Klausen (of Copenhagen University) and her co-authors attempt to answer that question. They report on a RCT involving patients with both obesity and alcohol use disorder. 108 Danish participants were randomized to the GLP-1 receptor agonist semaglutide or placebo. At six months, adults taking semaglutide reported five heavy drinking days in the previous months (down 41%) compared to nine days in the placebo group. “To our knowledge, this RCT is the first to show that once-weekly semaglutide reduces heavy drinking days and WHO drinking-risk levels in treatment-seeking patients with alcohol use disorder and comorbid obesity.” We consider the paper, the accompanying editorial, and its implications.

In this week’s other selection, a Viewpoint paper from JAMA Pediatrics, Drs. Lester Liao (of McGill University) and Eric Fombonne (of the Oregon Health & Science University) write on autism and overdiagnosis. “Diagnostic practices geared to accessing resources, incorrect diagnostic practices, increased attention, changes to diagnostic criteria and thresholds, and fundamental cultural shifts have contributed.”

DG

Continue reading

Reading of the Week: Student Mental Health – the New CJP Paper; Also, Novel Treatment for Alcohol and Kerman & Stergiopoulos on Encampments

December 19, 2024 /

From the Editor

He walked into our emergency department late one night. He told me that he felt overwhelmed – not just by his university studies, but by everything. Even getting out of bed was challenging. Like many, his depression began in late adolescence, just as he was starting his engineering program.

What are the experiences of university students with mental health problems? And what can be done to improve them? Nathan King (of Queen’s University) and his co-authors try to answer these questions in a new paper published in The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. They surveyed more than 4 000 Queen’s students over a five-year period, and did both qualitative and quantitative analyses. They found 30% reported a lifetime mental disorder and 23% had a history of self-harm, yet only 15% accessed care. They make several recommendations including: “Student-tailored mental health literacy may be a sustainable approach to address the attitudinal and practical barriers identified.” We consider the paper and its implications.

In the second selection, Dr. Markku Lähteenvuo (of the University of Eastern Finland) and his colleagues discuss semaglutide and sister drugs for alcohol use disorder in a JAMA Psychiatry brief report. Drawing on Swedish databases, they compared individuals who took the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1) agonists to those who didn’t. “Among patients with AUD and comorbid obesity/type 2 diabetes, the use of semaglutide and liraglutide were associated with a substantially decreased risk of hospitalization due to AUD.”

In the third selection, an op ed published in the Toronto Star, Nick Kerman and Dr. Vicky Stergiopoulos (both of the University of Toronto) consider the Ontario government’s plan to end homeless encampments in Canada’s largest province. They suggest an alternative. “Let’s leverage a housing-first intervention, a proven way to get people the housing and support they need.”

The Reading of the Week is going on holidays for the next weeks (or, at least, I am). The next Reading will be 16 January 2025. All the best in the holiday season.

DG

Continue reading