Association of GLP-1 receptor agonists with alcohol use disorder-related and substance use disorder-related hospital admissions during treatment and after discontinuation: a Swedish register-based within-individual observational study.

Bach P, Franck J, Hällgren J, Widing H, Gissler M, Westman J

The lancet. Psychiatry1 Aug 2026

PMID42456704DOI10.1016/s2215-0366(26)00172-0PepBankPUB-42456704

Publisher page PubMedAsk about this study

Summary

The text of this summary is not shown here, because the article license does not allow reuse. Read it at the source (opens in a new tab)

Text rights: Publisher copyright. Results still quote short attributed sentences.

Results from this study5

No result from this study comes from a test of the peptide.

Studies that did not test the peptide alone5

In this study, Semaglutide was a lab tool or a carrier, part of a mix, or the subject of a lab method. These results are not evidence about taking Semaglutide.

01HumanNot a test of Semaglutide aloneObservational studySafety outcome
In Swedish adults with type 2 diabetes, exposure to GLP-1 receptor agonists as a class was linked to lower rates of hospitalisation for alcohol use disorder than unexposed periods in the same people.
In plain wordsIn Swedish adults with type 2 diabetes, periods on GLP-1 drugs as a group were linked to fewer alcohol-related hospital stays than periods off them.
Peptide
Semaglutide
Outcome
DecreaseAlcohol use disorder-related hospitalisations during exposure
Study
n: not reported in source
Comparator
Unexposed periods in the same individuals
Outcome group
Addiction, withdrawal and alcohol intake · Mental health and mood
Measurements
Rate ratio
0.55
alcohol use disorder hospitalisation, GLP-1 exposure
Source sentences
Summary
GLP-1 exposure was associated with lower rates of hospitalisations related to alcohol use disorder (RR 0·55, 95% CI 0·43-0·70)
2 context sentences(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
This within-individual observational study used Swedish registers to identify residents of Stockholm County with a first registered diagnosis of type 2 diabetes between Jan 1, 2005, and Dec 31, 2024 who had received GLP-1 receptor agonists and, for comparison, DPP-4 inhibitors.
Summary · context
Fixed-effects Poisson regression models were used to estimate rate ratios (RRs) of hospitalisations, comparing periods of GLP-1 receptor agonist or DPP-4 inhibitor exposure and two post-exposure windows (days 1-182 and 183-364) with unexposed periods in the same individuals.
In this study, Semaglutide was a lab tool or a carrier, part of a mix, or the subject of a lab method. This result is not evidence about taking Semaglutide.
Report a problemFND-4245670401
02HumanNot a test of Semaglutide aloneObservational studySafety outcome
In Swedish adults with type 2 diabetes, exposure to GLP-1 receptor agonists as a class was linked to lower rates of hospitalisation for substance use disorder than unexposed periods in the same people.
In plain wordsIn Swedish adults with diabetes, periods on GLP-1 drugs as a group were linked to fewer substance-use hospital stays than periods off.
Peptide
Semaglutide
Outcome
DecreaseSubstance use disorder-related hospitalisations during exposure
Study
n: not reported in source
Comparator
Unexposed periods in the same individuals
Outcome group
Addiction, withdrawal and alcohol intake · Mental health and mood
Measurements
Rate ratio
0.61
substance use disorder hospitalisation, GLP-1 exposure
Source sentences
Summary
and substance use disorder (0·61, 0·50-0·74)
2 context sentences(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
This within-individual observational study used Swedish registers to identify residents of Stockholm County with a first registered diagnosis of type 2 diabetes between Jan 1, 2005, and Dec 31, 2024 who had received GLP-1 receptor agonists and, for comparison, DPP-4 inhibitors.
Summary · context
Fixed-effects Poisson regression models were used to estimate rate ratios (RRs) of hospitalisations, comparing periods of GLP-1 receptor agonist or DPP-4 inhibitor exposure and two post-exposure windows (days 1-182 and 183-364) with unexposed periods in the same individuals.
In this study, Semaglutide was a lab tool or a carrier, part of a mix, or the subject of a lab method. This result is not evidence about taking Semaglutide.
Report a problemFND-4245670402
03HumanNot a test of Semaglutide aloneObservational studySafety outcome
In Swedish adults with type 2 diabetes and alcohol use disorder, lower hospitalisation rates persisted during days 1-182 after GLP-1 receptor agonists (as a class) were stopped.
In plain wordsIn Swedish adults with diabetes and alcohol use disorder, fewer alcohol-related hospital stays continued about six months after stopping GLP-1 drugs as a group.
Peptide
Semaglutide
Outcome
DecreaseAlcohol use disorder hospitalisations, days 1-182 after discontinuation
Study
n: not reported in source
Comparator
Unexposed periods in the same individuals
Outcome group
Addiction, withdrawal and alcohol intake · Mental health and mood
Measurements
Rate ratio
0.7
alcohol use disorder, days 1-182 after discontinuation
Source sentences
Summary
For individuals with alcohol use disorder, the association with hospitalisation rate reduction persisted during days 1-182 after discontinuation of GLP-1 receptor agonists (0·70, 0·50-0·98)
2 context sentences(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
This within-individual observational study used Swedish registers to identify residents of Stockholm County with a first registered diagnosis of type 2 diabetes between Jan 1, 2005, and Dec 31, 2024 who had received GLP-1 receptor agonists and, for comparison, DPP-4 inhibitors.
Summary · context
Fixed-effects Poisson regression models were used to estimate rate ratios (RRs) of hospitalisations, comparing periods of GLP-1 receptor agonist or DPP-4 inhibitor exposure and two post-exposure windows (days 1-182 and 183-364) with unexposed periods in the same individuals.
In this study, Semaglutide was a lab tool or a carrier, part of a mix, or the subject of a lab method. This result is not evidence about taking Semaglutide.
Report a problemFND-4245670403
04HumanNot a test of Semaglutide aloneObservational studySafety outcome
In Swedish adults with type 2 diabetes and alcohol use disorder, the lower hospitalisation rate was no longer evident during days 183-364 after GLP-1 receptor agonists (as a class) were stopped.
In plain wordsIn Swedish adults with diabetes and alcohol use disorder, the lower alcohol-related hospital rate was gone 183 to 364 days after stopping pooled GLP-1 drugs.
Peptide
Semaglutide
Outcome
No significant changeAlcohol use disorder hospitalisations, days 183-364 after discontinuation
Study
n: not reported in source
Comparator
Unexposed periods in the same individuals
Outcome group
Addiction, withdrawal and alcohol intake · Mental health and mood
Measurements
Rate ratio
1.07
alcohol use disorder, days 183-364 after discontinuation
Source sentences
Summary
but was no longer evident during days 183-364 after discontinuation (1·07, 0·71-1·63)
2 context sentences(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
This within-individual observational study used Swedish registers to identify residents of Stockholm County with a first registered diagnosis of type 2 diabetes between Jan 1, 2005, and Dec 31, 2024 who had received GLP-1 receptor agonists and, for comparison, DPP-4 inhibitors.
Summary · context
Fixed-effects Poisson regression models were used to estimate rate ratios (RRs) of hospitalisations, comparing periods of GLP-1 receptor agonist or DPP-4 inhibitor exposure and two post-exposure windows (days 1-182 and 183-364) with unexposed periods in the same individuals.
In this study, Semaglutide was a lab tool or a carrier, part of a mix, or the subject of a lab method. This result is not evidence about taking Semaglutide.
Report a problemFND-4245670404
05HumanNot a test of Semaglutide aloneObservational studySafety outcome
In Swedish adults with type 2 diabetes and substance use disorder, hospitalisation rates showed no statistically significant reduction in either window after GLP-1 receptor agonists (as a class) were stopped.
In plain wordsIn Swedish adults with diabetes and substance use disorder, no clear drop in substance-related hospital stays followed stopping GLP-1 drugs as a group.
Peptide
Semaglutide
Outcome
No significant changeSubstance use disorder hospitalisations after discontinuation
Study
n: not reported in source
Comparator
Unexposed periods in the same individuals
Outcome group
Addiction, withdrawal and alcohol intake · Mental health and mood
Measurements
Rate ratio
0.79
substance use disorder, days 1-182 after discontinuation
Rate ratio
0.89
substance use disorder, days 183-364 after discontinuation
Source sentences
Summary
for substance use disorder, there were no statistically significant associations with reduction after discontinuation of GLP-1 receptor agonists (days 1-182: 0·79, 0·61-1·02; days 183-364: 0·89, 0·63-1·26)
2 context sentences(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
This within-individual observational study used Swedish registers to identify residents of Stockholm County with a first registered diagnosis of type 2 diabetes between Jan 1, 2005, and Dec 31, 2024 who had received GLP-1 receptor agonists and, for comparison, DPP-4 inhibitors.
Summary · context
Fixed-effects Poisson regression models were used to estimate rate ratios (RRs) of hospitalisations, comparing periods of GLP-1 receptor agonist or DPP-4 inhibitor exposure and two post-exposure windows (days 1-182 and 183-364) with unexposed periods in the same individuals.
In this study, Semaglutide was a lab tool or a carrier, part of a mix, or the subject of a lab method. This result is not evidence about taking Semaglutide.
Report a problemFND-4245670405

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Version history

PepBank keeps every version of the data on this study. Status changes from Retraction Watch, Europe PMC and Crossref are listed with their source.

Version 2Current
11 Oct 2026, 00:04 UTC
Study results updated
Version 1
9 Oct 2026, 03:06 UTC
First added · source update from Europe PMC

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