> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smartseniordaily.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # GLP Drugs & Seniors: Good, Bad, or Indifferent? It Depends, PART 1 - URL: https://www.smartseniordaily.com/glp-drugs-seniors-good-bad-or-indifferent-it-depends-part-1/ - Published: 2026-03-21T10:09:56.000Z - Updated: 2026-03-21T10:09:55.000Z - Description: The one thing in your body that's not a big fan of rapid weight loss is... do you know? - Author: Gary P Guthrie - Tags: Addiction, GLP-1, Alcohol GLP-1 drugs – Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound being the big three – have re-entered the news cycle like a house on fire. > *"GLP-1s might help curb addiction to alcohol, opioids, and cigarettes"* > *"New direct-to-employee platform for GLP-1s is launched"* > *"Most GLP-1 patients keep weight off with fewer shots"* **The big question to ask is: will this work for you, a senior?** Here's what we found out about that first study ("curbing addiction"). We'll follow up on the others in subsequent articles. [WHO Gives GLP-1 Drugs the Green Light — But New Research Flags a Risk Seniors Shouldn’t IgnoreGlobal approval meets a growing list of side effects older adults need to watch closely![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d9/1a/d91a71e8-ed81-4ec8-8028-ec14ba129b35/content/images/icon/SSD-FavIcon1-377.png)Smart Senior DailyGary P Guthrie![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d9/1a/d91a71e8-ed81-4ec8-8028-ec14ba129b35/content/images/thumbnail/GLP-1-1-1-2.webp)](https://www.smartseniordaily.com/who-backs-glp-1-drugs-for-obesity-but-seniors-face-new-safety-flags/) ## "GLP-1s might help curb addiction to alcohol, opioids, and cigarettes" It's not just someone's opinion, but a major [study](https://www.bmj.com/content/392/bmj-2025-086886/rapid-responses?ref=smartseniordaily.com) (600,000 U.S. veterans with type 2 diabetes) done by researchers at VA Saint Louis Health Care System, St Louis. The researchers found that using GLP-1 was links to lower rates of substance abuse than if someone used an SGLT-2 inhibitors (Jardiance (empagliflozin), Farxiga (dapagliflozin), and Invokana (canagliflozin) — across every category tested. And vets with *no* pre-existing substance use disorder? They proved to have reduced risk as well – with the strongest positive result being alcohol use disorder, with a net risk difference of nearly 5.6 fewer cases per 1,000 people. Marijuana, nicotine, opioids, cocaine, and other substance use disorders all trended in the same direction, too. ### And it gets better, too **Ziyad Al-Aly,** one of the researchers, said that among people with existing substance use disorders, they found **fewer drug related emergency department visits, hospital admissions,** and **deaths**. > "This translated into roughly 12 fewer serious events per 1000 users over three years, including two fewer deaths," Al-Aly said. "Crucially, we also saw clear reductions in drug overdoses and suicide attempts, suggesting these drugs may reduce some of the most lethal consequences of addiction." > Given how many people now take GLP-1 receptor agonists, even modest individual effects could translate into a substantial population level shift in the burden of addiction. [What Happens When The Medications You Take Overlap?It’s not just what you take. It’s how those meds interact over time.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d9/1a/d91a71e8-ed81-4ec8-8028-ec14ba129b35/content/images/icon/SSD-FavIcon1-380.png)Smart Senior DailySmart Senior Daily Staff![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/d9/1a/d91a71e8-ed81-4ec8-8028-ec14ba129b35/content/images/thumbnail/Medication-side-efx-2-2.png)](https://www.smartseniordaily.com/what-happens-when-the-medications-you-take-overlap/) ## What does this mean for Seniors? Here's the thing nobody talks about: addiction doesn't retire when you do. **Alcohol use/abuse** disorder affects about 10% of the 65+ demographic. That may not seem like a lot, but to those who it affects, it affects in a big way – not only physically, but socially and within their own family. **Opioid misuse** is a growing concern, too, for seniors. Often beginning as something prescribed by a doctor when a senior gets knee or hip replacement, people tend to get comfortable with taking it and have a hard time putting it down. **Tobacco addiction** probably speaks for itself given its history. And because our generation wasn't exactly raised to talk about this stuff, a lot of older adults — and their families — never connect the dots and the whole mess can slide further downhill. **So when a study of 600,000 people that a drug many seniors are already taking for diabetes or weight loss also appears to reduce addiction risk?** That's worth paying attention to. ### If you do it, do this cautiously We don't have a license to tell you to go to your GP and ask if you can have a prescription of Wegovy or Ozempic so you can curb your drinking. **Going all in can be dangerous:** you can lose muscle mass you can't afford to lose, your bones aren't big fans of rapid weight loss, and if you're already taking a handful of pills, adding a GLP-1 to the mix needs a careful, honest conversation. But **if you're already a candidate for one of these drugs** — and a lot of us are — then, you've now got one more reason to have that fuller conversation with your doctor about everything related: weight as well as alcohol, opiods, and tobacco. --- **Disclaimer:** This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Medications like Ozempic, Wegovy, and other GLP-1 drugs should only be started, adjusted, or stopped under the guidance of a qualified healthcare provider. Individual results and risks may vary.