Can Ozempic Treat Alcoholism? Here’s What You Should Know
Semaglutide (the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy) and other GLP-1 medications have rapidly become some of the most popular drugs in the world. Originally developed for type 2 diabetes, GLP-1s are now better known for treating obesity. In the near future, though, these drugs could have yet another vital use as treatments for alcohol addiction and other substance use disorders.
Over the past few years, a growing base of evidence has suggested that GLP-1s can tamp down people’s unhealthy urges for alcohol, cocaine, and even vices like gambling. And earlier this month, researchers in Denmark published data from the first double-blinded, randomized, and placebo-controlled trial of semaglutide for alcohol use disorder in The Lancet. Over a 26-week period, the study found that people on semaglutide consumed less alcohol than those given a placebo and experienced noticeably fewer heavy drinking days when they did drink.
There are other similar studies underway, including in the United States. Some are testing semaglutide for other kinds of substance use disorder, like opioids. Others are testing newer drugs like tirzepatide (a dual agonist that pairs GLP-1 with the hunger-related hormone GIP).
I reached out to an outside expert, Asim Shah, a professor and executive vice chair of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Baylor College of Medicine, to talk about the emerging science surrounding GLP-1s and addiction treatment. We discussed the leading theory behind why GLP-1s can reduce addiction, his opinion of the recent Lancet trial, and what it will take for these drugs to be widely adopted as treatments for substance use disorders. The following has been lightly edited for clarity and grammar.
Ed Cara, Gizmodo: Do we have any sort of sense yet as to how or why GLP-1s seem to be working well against substance use disorders?
Asim Shah: So the craving, or pleasure, center of the brain is related to dopamine, which is a brain neurotransmitter. Whenever you crave something and you eat it or you take it, that gives you pleasure. That is the dopamine functioning in the brain. And all of this is related to the same thing, whether it’s a craving for food, craving for smoking, craving for alcohol, any drug. That’s the neurobiological mechanism of craving and pleasure, and it’s all the same mechanism.
And incidentally, we found out that the people who were losing weight on these GLP-1s, they often also stopped smoking cigarettes and their addiction got better with alcohol. It was an incidental finding, but it’s something people are now trying to study more closely.
Gizmodo: Speaking of studies, what do you make of the newest trial published in The Lancet this month?
Shah: So this was a 26 week study, which had about 100 patients, half and half men and women both. In our world, 100 patients is a medium sized study; a larger one might usually have 300, 400, 600 patients. So this is a medium sized study, which is decent. It’s not bad. And in my opinion, it was done pretty well, not a lot of bias in the study that I saw.
Now, of course, this is not a definitive study. And you need to follow up with these patients after the weeks of study. We call these start-up studies, and they are what we base future, longer and bigger studies on. So it’s a good base, and there are other studies on the way.
Gizmodo: Broadly speaking, what are the questions that these longer and larger studies need to try answering?
Shah: So there are a couple of things.
These are different substances that people are looking at; one is alcohol, one smoking, the other is opiates. So the next studies we should be doing is to see whether GLP-1s like semaglutide can limit more than one of these addictions. Because the mechanism is the same mechanism for all the cravings and the addictions. So can it reduce all of these or just one if somebody is taking it?
If we do keep seeing an effect here, it’s also important to know how quickly this happens and whether it can be sustained after you stop using a GLP-1. That’s why we have to follow people after these sorts of trials, to see if the effect can last after they stop taking the medication or if it requires people needing to stay on the drug for the effect.
Gizmodo: These sort of studies are happening. But what should be the current takeaway for people with these addictions and their doctor? Is this something that could be used in the real world right now?
Shah: Because they’re not approved right now, the takeaway should be that if you already have a current indication to take a GLP-1 which is for diabetes or obesity, certainly take it. If you also get an added advantage of stopping your smoking or alcohol use disorder, that is well and good because we don’t have approval for these disorders currently.
So in other words, if somebody comes to us and says, “Hey, I want to start these medicines for smoking cessation or alcohol use disorder,” we may not be able to prescribe it because there’s no approval. But they can be part of a study which is going on in some centers for those disorders. And if somebody already is using them for diabetes or so, and in addition, they get a benefit for alcoholism, that’s great, too.
Semaglutide (the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy) and other GLP-1 medications have rapidly become some of the most popular drugs in the world. Originally developed for type 2 diabetes, GLP-1s are now better known for treating obesity. In the near future, though, these drugs could have yet another vital use as treatments for alcohol addiction and other substance use disorders.
Over the past few years, a growing base of evidence has suggested that GLP-1s can tamp down people’s unhealthy urges for alcohol, cocaine, and even vices like gambling. And earlier this month, researchers in Denmark published data from the first double-blinded, randomized, and placebo-controlled trial of semaglutide for alcohol use disorder in The Lancet. Over a 26-week period, the study found that people on semaglutide consumed less alcohol than those given a placebo and experienced noticeably fewer heavy drinking days when they did drink.
There are other similar studies underway, including in the United States. Some are testing semaglutide for other kinds of substance use disorder, like opioids. Others are testing newer drugs like tirzepatide (a dual agonist that pairs GLP-1 with the hunger-related hormone GIP).
I reached out to an outside expert, Asim Shah, a professor and executive vice chair of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Baylor College of Medicine, to talk about the emerging science surrounding GLP-1s and addiction treatment. We discussed the leading theory behind why GLP-1s can reduce addiction, his opinion of the recent Lancet trial, and what it will take for these drugs to be widely adopted as treatments for substance use disorders. The following has been lightly edited for clarity and grammar.
Ed Cara, Gizmodo: Do we have any sort of sense yet as to how or why GLP-1s seem to be working well against substance use disorders?
Asim Shah: So the craving, or pleasure, center of the brain is related to dopamine, which is a brain neurotransmitter. Whenever you crave something and you eat it or you take it, that gives you pleasure. That is the dopamine functioning in the brain. And all of this is related to the same thing, whether it’s a craving for food, craving for smoking, craving for alcohol, any drug. That’s the neurobiological mechanism of craving and pleasure, and it’s all the same mechanism.
And incidentally, we found out that the people who were losing weight on these GLP-1s, they often also stopped smoking cigarettes and their addiction got better with alcohol. It was an incidental finding, but it’s something people are now trying to study more closely.
Gizmodo: Speaking of studies, what do you make of the newest trial published in The Lancet this month?
Shah: So this was a 26 week study, which had about 100 patients, half and half men and women both. In our world, 100 patients is a medium sized study; a larger one might usually have 300, 400, 600 patients. So this is a medium sized study, which is decent. It’s not bad. And in my opinion, it was done pretty well, not a lot of bias in the study that I saw.
Now, of course, this is not a definitive study. And you need to follow up with these patients after the weeks of study. We call these start-up studies, and they are what we base future, longer and bigger studies on. So it’s a good base, and there are other studies on the way.
Gizmodo: Broadly speaking, what are the questions that these longer and larger studies need to try answering?
Shah: So there are a couple of things.
These are different substances that people are looking at; one is alcohol, one smoking, the other is opiates. So the next studies we should be doing is to see whether GLP-1s like semaglutide can limit more than one of these addictions. Because the mechanism is the same mechanism for all the cravings and the addictions. So can it reduce all of these or just one if somebody is taking it?
If we do keep seeing an effect here, it’s also important to know how quickly this happens and whether it can be sustained after you stop using a GLP-1. That’s why we have to follow people after these sorts of trials, to see if the effect can last after they stop taking the medication or if it requires people needing to stay on the drug for the effect.
Gizmodo: These sort of studies are happening. But what should be the current takeaway for people with these addictions and their doctor? Is this something that could be used in the real world right now?
Shah: Because they’re not approved right now, the takeaway should be that if you already have a current indication to take a GLP-1 which is for diabetes or obesity, certainly take it. If you also get an added advantage of stopping your smoking or alcohol use disorder, that is well and good because we don’t have approval for these disorders currently.
So in other words, if somebody comes to us and says, “Hey, I want to start these medicines for smoking cessation or alcohol use disorder,” we may not be able to prescribe it because there’s no approval. But they can be part of a study which is going on in some centers for those disorders. And if somebody already is using them for diabetes or so, and in addition, they get a benefit for alcoholism, that’s great, too.
Roblox is expanding its safety features for younger players. The platform has launched Roblox Kids and Roblox Select Accounts in India. The new system is designed for users under 16. The platform uses age checks to place users into either Roblox Kids or Roblox Select Accounts. Each account is provided with security features and restrictions regarding access to certain types of content. Over time, the user’s level of protection changes as they move into a new age group.
Roblox Kids Accounts for Ages 5 to 8
Roblox Kids Accounts are designed for children ages 5 to 8. These accounts include the platform’s highest level of default safety protections. Users can access only selected games that carry Minimal or Mild content ratings. Chat features remain disabled by default to provide a safer experience. The company also reviews and approves eligible games before making them available to these users.
Roblox Select Accounts for Ages 9 to 15
The creators of Roblox have launched a feature called Select Account aimed at older children and teenagers. These accounts allow players ages 9 to 15 to gain wider access to more games at Moderate maturity levels. Chat availability depends on the user’s age and region. Roblox also continues to enforce protections for all users under 16.
As children grow, Roblox automatically adjusts their account experience. Players move from Roblox Kids Accounts to Roblox Select Accounts when they turn 9. Once users turn 16, Roblox automatically places them in a standard account and updates their account settings accordingly. The platform gradually expands access to features while updating safety protections as users get older.
New Parental Controls Coming to Roblox
The new rollout expands Roblox’s parental control system. The parents can monitor gameplay activity and check the friends’ list from their linked account. They will have control over parameters such as screen time, spending limits, and communication restrictions. The new game-blocking options give them increased control over content. Parents can also grant permission for selected games outside the default account settings.
As part of the latest update, Roblox is adding more protections for users under 16. Facial age verification will play a larger role in accessing some chat features. Users who do not complete the process may lose access to certain communication tools. The platform also blocks links, images, and videos from being shared in chat. New restrictions will also prevent users under 16 from viewing or sharing social media links across the platform.
This year, Roblox will start using the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC) rating system. By using IARC, Roblox hopes to provide better age guidelines for its experiences. The IARC age recommendations will be integrated into Roblox’s age-specific accounts.
Roblox is expanding its safety features for younger players. The platform has launched Roblox Kids and Roblox Select Accounts in India. The new system is designed for users under 16. The platform uses age checks to place users into either Roblox Kids or Roblox Select Accounts. Each account is provided with security features and restrictions regarding access to certain types of content. Over time, the user’s level of protection changes as they move into a new age group.
Roblox Kids Accounts for Ages 5 to 8
Roblox Kids Accounts are designed for children ages 5 to 8. These accounts include the platform’s highest level of default safety protections. Users can access only selected games that carry Minimal or Mild content ratings. Chat features remain disabled by default to provide a safer experience. The company also reviews and approves eligible games before making them available to these users.
Roblox Select Accounts for Ages 9 to 15
The creators of Roblox have launched a feature called Select Account aimed at older children and teenagers. These accounts allow players ages 9 to 15 to gain wider access to more games at Moderate maturity levels. Chat availability depends on the user’s age and region. Roblox also continues to enforce protections for all users under 16.
As children grow, Roblox automatically adjusts their account experience. Players move from Roblox Kids Accounts to Roblox Select Accounts when they turn 9. Once users turn 16, Roblox automatically places them in a standard account and updates their account settings accordingly. The platform gradually expands access to features while updating safety protections as users get older.
New Parental Controls Coming to Roblox
The new rollout expands Roblox’s parental control system. The parents can monitor gameplay activity and check the friends’ list from their linked account. They will have control over parameters such as screen time, spending limits, and communication restrictions. The new game-blocking options give them increased control over content. Parents can also grant permission for selected games outside the default account settings.
As part of the latest update, Roblox is adding more protections for users under 16. Facial age verification will play a larger role in accessing some chat features. Users who do not complete the process may lose access to certain communication tools. The platform also blocks links, images, and videos from being shared in chat. New restrictions will also prevent users under 16 from viewing or sharing social media links across the platform.
This year, Roblox will start using the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC) rating system. By using IARC, Roblox hopes to provide better age guidelines for its experiences. The IARC age recommendations will be integrated into Roblox’s age-specific accounts.
#Roblox #Expands #Kids #Select #Accounts #Safety #Features #IndiaRoblox">Roblox Expands Kids and Select Accounts With New Safety Features in India
Roblox is expanding its safety features for younger players. The platform has launched Roblox Kids and Roblox Select Accounts in India. The new system is designed for users under 16. The platform uses age checks to place users into either Roblox Kids or Roblox Select Accounts. Each account is provided with security features and restrictions regarding access to certain types of content. Over time, the user’s level of protection changes as they move into a new age group.
Roblox Kids Accounts for Ages 5 to 8
Roblox Kids Accounts are designed for children ages 5 to 8. These accounts include the platform’s highest level of default safety protections. Users can access only selected games that carry Minimal or Mild content ratings. Chat features remain disabled by default to provide a safer experience. The company also reviews and approves eligible games before making them available to these users.
Roblox Select Accounts for Ages 9 to 15
The creators of Roblox have launched a feature called Select Account aimed at older children and teenagers. These accounts allow players ages 9 to 15 to gain wider access to more games at Moderate maturity levels. Chat availability depends on the user’s age and region. Roblox also continues to enforce protections for all users under 16.
As children grow, Roblox automatically adjusts their account experience. Players move from Roblox Kids Accounts to Roblox Select Accounts when they turn 9. Once users turn 16, Roblox automatically places them in a standard account and updates their account settings accordingly. The platform gradually expands access to features while updating safety protections as users get older.
New Parental Controls Coming to Roblox
The new rollout expands Roblox’s parental control system. The parents can monitor gameplay activity and check the friends’ list from their linked account. They will have control over parameters such as screen time, spending limits, and communication restrictions. The new game-blocking options give them increased control over content. Parents can also grant permission for selected games outside the default account settings.
As part of the latest update, Roblox is adding more protections for users under 16. Facial age verification will play a larger role in accessing some chat features. Users who do not complete the process may lose access to certain communication tools. The platform also blocks links, images, and videos from being shared in chat. New restrictions will also prevent users under 16 from viewing or sharing social media links across the platform.
This year, Roblox will start using the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC) rating system. By using IARC, Roblox hopes to provide better age guidelines for its experiences. The IARC age recommendations will be integrated into Roblox’s age-specific accounts.
Not so long ago, the name Midjourney was synonymous with AI imagery. (Remember that brief period when everyone you knew was using an AI-generated selfie on social media?) Now the company is attempting to rebrand itself as a wellness brand.
In a blog post published Wednesday, titled “A New Era for Midjourney,” the company described its plans for a new project, which it said is “a little weird and a little crazy, but also spectacular and filled with hope.” For starters, it’s working on a body scanner technology, which it says will be faster, cheaper, and less invasive than an MRI. The experience they have in mind sounds like a blend between Han Solo being lowered into the pit at Jabba’s Palace before getting blasted with carbonite and an ayahuasca trip report. Here’s how Midjourney describes it in their blog post:
It starts by stepping into a shallow pool of golden light. You then begin to descend into the water. Your body passes through a ring of underwater sensors, each acting like a dolphin, using its echolocation. The sensors send ultrasonic sound waves through your body from every angle. With enough waves, and enough angles, we form an image of what’s happening inside your body.
All of this should take no more than a minute, the blog post added.
Midjourney envisions a ring of half a million sensors within the scanner, each about the size of a grain of sand, blasting ultrasonic waves at your body and using the reverberations to create a detailed 3-D map of what’s happening inside. “Envisions” is the key word, there: The announcement didn’t make clear what stage of R&D the scanner is currently in, but it did admit that the company still needs to figure out a “major computational task,” namely, how to transform all those noisy waves into static images.
The process will reportedly harvest “terabytes of data each second,” based on the idea that the more information you collect about your body, the clearer and more complete a picture you can build of your individual health profile.
“You want as much data as you can get about your health as quickly and as cheaply as possible,” the company wrote. “In other words, you want a technology optimized for getting as many megabytes per second per dollar of information about your body.”
Midjourney is going to great lengths to contrast its body scanner with MRIs, which—as anyone who’s had to go into one will already know—aren’t particularly comfortable. In fact, the company is going so far as to make its scanning technology the centerpiece of a new spa, which it plans to open in downtown San Francisco before the end of next year.
It’s here that the “a little weird” part starts to feel like a pretty monumental understatement. The Midjourney Spa, as it’s being called, will have the typical accouterments of a high-end spa, like hot tubs and cold plunges, along with “cozy rooms with pools of golden light which softly scan your body.” Midjourney says the spa will be open 24/7 and will be so comfortable, so inviting, as to make guests almost completely forget about the fact that their insides are being scanned by millions of tiny, ultrasonic sensors.
“The scans are a side-effect,” the company wrote. “You barely think of them when going to the spa. But suddenly, you have a huge library of data about your health.”
The announcement added that Midjourney aims to open additional spas in more cities beginning in 2028, and that the company’s next step will be to submit early test results from its body-scanning device to the FDA in the hopes of getting regulatory clearance to build devices with “increased capabilities.”
Not so long ago, the name Midjourney was synonymous with AI imagery. (Remember that brief period when everyone you knew was using an AI-generated selfie on social media?) Now the company is attempting to rebrand itself as a wellness brand.
In a blog post published Wednesday, titled “A New Era for Midjourney,” the company described its plans for a new project, which it said is “a little weird and a little crazy, but also spectacular and filled with hope.” For starters, it’s working on a body scanner technology, which it says will be faster, cheaper, and less invasive than an MRI. The experience they have in mind sounds like a blend between Han Solo being lowered into the pit at Jabba’s Palace before getting blasted with carbonite and an ayahuasca trip report. Here’s how Midjourney describes it in their blog post:
It starts by stepping into a shallow pool of golden light. You then begin to descend into the water. Your body passes through a ring of underwater sensors, each acting like a dolphin, using its echolocation. The sensors send ultrasonic sound waves through your body from every angle. With enough waves, and enough angles, we form an image of what’s happening inside your body.
All of this should take no more than a minute, the blog post added.
Midjourney envisions a ring of half a million sensors within the scanner, each about the size of a grain of sand, blasting ultrasonic waves at your body and using the reverberations to create a detailed 3-D map of what’s happening inside. “Envisions” is the key word, there: The announcement didn’t make clear what stage of R&D the scanner is currently in, but it did admit that the company still needs to figure out a “major computational task,” namely, how to transform all those noisy waves into static images.
The process will reportedly harvest “terabytes of data each second,” based on the idea that the more information you collect about your body, the clearer and more complete a picture you can build of your individual health profile.
“You want as much data as you can get about your health as quickly and as cheaply as possible,” the company wrote. “In other words, you want a technology optimized for getting as many megabytes per second per dollar of information about your body.”
Midjourney is going to great lengths to contrast its body scanner with MRIs, which—as anyone who’s had to go into one will already know—aren’t particularly comfortable. In fact, the company is going so far as to make its scanning technology the centerpiece of a new spa, which it plans to open in downtown San Francisco before the end of next year.
It’s here that the “a little weird” part starts to feel like a pretty monumental understatement. The Midjourney Spa, as it’s being called, will have the typical accouterments of a high-end spa, like hot tubs and cold plunges, along with “cozy rooms with pools of golden light which softly scan your body.” Midjourney says the spa will be open 24/7 and will be so comfortable, so inviting, as to make guests almost completely forget about the fact that their insides are being scanned by millions of tiny, ultrasonic sensors.
“The scans are a side-effect,” the company wrote. “You barely think of them when going to the spa. But suddenly, you have a huge library of data about your health.”
The announcement added that Midjourney aims to open additional spas in more cities beginning in 2028, and that the company’s next step will be to submit early test results from its body-scanning device to the FDA in the hopes of getting regulatory clearance to build devices with “increased capabilities.”
#Remember #Midjourney #Building #Medical #Scanning #Device #Cheaper #MRIAI,AI images,Health,Midjourney,San Francisco">Remember Midjourney? It’s Building a Medical Scanning Device That It Says Is Cheaper Than an MRI
Not so long ago, the name Midjourney was synonymous with AI imagery. (Remember that brief period when everyone you knew was using an AI-generated selfie on social media?) Now the company is attempting to rebrand itself as a wellness brand.
In a blog post published Wednesday, titled “A New Era for Midjourney,” the company described its plans for a new project, which it said is “a little weird and a little crazy, but also spectacular and filled with hope.” For starters, it’s working on a body scanner technology, which it says will be faster, cheaper, and less invasive than an MRI. The experience they have in mind sounds like a blend between Han Solo being lowered into the pit at Jabba’s Palace before getting blasted with carbonite and an ayahuasca trip report. Here’s how Midjourney describes it in their blog post:
It starts by stepping into a shallow pool of golden light. You then begin to descend into the water. Your body passes through a ring of underwater sensors, each acting like a dolphin, using its echolocation. The sensors send ultrasonic sound waves through your body from every angle. With enough waves, and enough angles, we form an image of what’s happening inside your body.
All of this should take no more than a minute, the blog post added.
Midjourney envisions a ring of half a million sensors within the scanner, each about the size of a grain of sand, blasting ultrasonic waves at your body and using the reverberations to create a detailed 3-D map of what’s happening inside. “Envisions” is the key word, there: The announcement didn’t make clear what stage of R&D the scanner is currently in, but it did admit that the company still needs to figure out a “major computational task,” namely, how to transform all those noisy waves into static images.
The process will reportedly harvest “terabytes of data each second,” based on the idea that the more information you collect about your body, the clearer and more complete a picture you can build of your individual health profile.
“You want as much data as you can get about your health as quickly and as cheaply as possible,” the company wrote. “In other words, you want a technology optimized for getting as many megabytes per second per dollar of information about your body.”
Midjourney is going to great lengths to contrast its body scanner with MRIs, which—as anyone who’s had to go into one will already know—aren’t particularly comfortable. In fact, the company is going so far as to make its scanning technology the centerpiece of a new spa, which it plans to open in downtown San Francisco before the end of next year.
It’s here that the “a little weird” part starts to feel like a pretty monumental understatement. The Midjourney Spa, as it’s being called, will have the typical accouterments of a high-end spa, like hot tubs and cold plunges, along with “cozy rooms with pools of golden light which softly scan your body.” Midjourney says the spa will be open 24/7 and will be so comfortable, so inviting, as to make guests almost completely forget about the fact that their insides are being scanned by millions of tiny, ultrasonic sensors.
“The scans are a side-effect,” the company wrote. “You barely think of them when going to the spa. But suddenly, you have a huge library of data about your health.”
The announcement added that Midjourney aims to open additional spas in more cities beginning in 2028, and that the company’s next step will be to submit early test results from its body-scanning device to the FDA in the hopes of getting regulatory clearance to build devices with “increased capabilities.”
#Remember #Midjourney #Building #Medical #Scanning #Device #Cheaper #MRIAI,AI images,Health,Midjourney,San Francisco
Post Comment