A recent study suggests that semaglutide, typically used for Type 2 diabetes, may significantly reduce the risk of opioid overdoses in patients with opioid use disorder, according to research published Sept. 25 by JAMA Network.
Here are three notes:
- The cohort study compared semaglutide's effect on opioid overdose risk against various antidiabetic medications in patients with both Type 2 diabetes and opioid use disorder, using electronic health records from the TriNetX analytics platform.
- Among 33,006 patients, those prescribed semaglutide showed a significantly lower risk of opioid overdose during a one-year followup, with hazard ratios indicating up to 68% reduced risk compared to other antidiabetic drugs.
- The research also indicated that semaglutide may modulate dopamine reward signaling and reduce the craving for drugs such as heroin, showing promise in managing addiction.