Alcohol Addiction News and Research

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Semaglutide trial targets people with liver disease, obesity and alcohol addiction

A new study -- co-led by the University of Plymouth, University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, and the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre: Nottingham -- is being launched into a treatment for people impacted by liver disease, obesity and alcohol addiction.

19 Aug 2026

Dementia addiction and psychiatric disorders show distinct patterns of accelerated brain aging

People with dementia, mild cognitive impairment, alcohol addiction, or psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia show increased brain aging, each in specific patterns within the brain, according to a study published July 21st in the open access journal PLOS Medicine by Shile Qi from the Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, China, and colleagues.

21 Jul 2026

Semaglutide for weight loss was linked to a sharp drop in alcohol use in this case report

A 2026 case report describes a 34-year-old man with obesity and alcohol use disorder whose semaglutide treatment for weight loss was associated with a marked drop in drinking over 10 months, with his AUDIT score falling from 27 to 7 and alcohol use dropping from about 15 drinks per week to half a beer per month. The authors frame this as a promising but preliminary finding that adds to growing evidence on GLP-1 drugs and alcohol use, while also stressing that this was a single case and that better AUD screening in family medicine remains important.

2 Apr 2026

Recreational drugs significantly increase the risk of stroke

The recreational drugs cannabis, cocaine and amphetamines significantly increase the risk of stroke – including among younger users – Cambridge researchers have concluded after analyzing data from more than 100 million people.

9 Mar 2026

Chronic alcohol use profoundly alters gene expression in the brain's reward system

Chronic alcohol consumption profoundly alters gene expression in key brain regions involved in reward, impulse control, and decision-making, according to a study led by researchers at the Institute for Neurosciences, a joint center of Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH) and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC).

9 Feb 2026

Cannabidiol could become a therapeutic tool for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder

Cannabidiol (CBD) could become a therapeutic tool to address some of the most frequent and disabling consequences of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), a condition caused by alcohol exposure during pregnancy.

14 Jan 2026

Washington’s homeless hide in plain sight, growing sicker and costing taxpayers more

Every night, Abdullah Ibrahim retreats from the streets into a wooded stretch along the Potomac River.

18 Dec 2025

Study uncovers a surprising connection between sugar metabolism and alcohol addiction

Scientists have uncovered a surprising connection between sugar metabolism and alcohol addiction, identifying a potential new therapeutic target for treating alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD).

10 Nov 2025

Heavy drinking fuels Alzheimer’s disease by igniting brain inflammation and protein damage

Chronic alcohol use accelerates Alzheimer’s disease (AD) progression by intensifying oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and amyloid-tau pathology through shared molecular pathways. The review highlights emerging therapies, targeting TLR4, GSK-3β, and metabolic dysfunction, that may mitigate alcohol-induced neurodegeneration.

20 Oct 2025

Study identifies thalamic pathway that reinforces alcohol seeking in withdrawal

What compels someone to keep engaging in alcohol use, even if it damages their health, relationships and wellbeing? A new study from Scripps Research offers an important clue: a small midline brain region plays a key role in how animals learn to continue drinking to avoid the stress and misery of withdrawal.

13 Sep 2025

Quitting smoking linked to better recovery from drug and alcohol addiction

Adults who smoke cigarettes and are addicted to alcohol or other drugs were more likely to achieve sustained remission of their substance use disorder symptoms if they also quit smoking, according to scientists at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). `

13 Aug 2025

As California’s behavioral health workforce buckles, help is years away

This spring, the Good News Rescue Mission, which runs the only emergency homeless shelter in Shasta County, received a game-changing $17.8 million state grant to build a 75-bed residential treatment facility in a region where thousands struggle with drug and alcohol addiction.

6 Aug 2025

Psychedelic treatments show promise for treating PTSD and depression

The Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is leading ground-breaking clinical research that has the potential to transform treatments for neuropsychiatric disorders.

14 Feb 2025

People with alcohol use disorder and depression report high pleasure from drinking

A new study from the University of Chicago Medicine reveals that people with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and depression experience high levels of stimulation and pleasure when intoxicated, similar to drinkers who do not have depression.

4 Feb 2025

How alcohol impacts male health

This research explores how alcohol consumption disrupts metabolism, damages the liver, and impairs male reproductive health, emphasizing the complex mechanisms and public health implications.

18 Nov 2024

Can monitoring and encouraging physical activity through phone-based apps improve glycemic control and weight loss in type 2 diabetes patients?

Whether a smartphone application (app) for maintaining personal health records encouraged physical activity, improved step counts, and glycemic control.

6 May 2024

Alcohol Addiction News and Research

Semaglutide trial targets people with liver disease, obesity and alcohol addiction

Dementia addiction and psychiatric disorders show distinct patterns of accelerated brain aging

Semaglutide for weight loss was linked to a sharp drop in alcohol use in this case report

Recreational drugs significantly increase the risk of stroke

Chronic alcohol use profoundly alters gene expression in the brain's reward system

Cannabidiol could become a therapeutic tool for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder

Washington’s homeless hide in plain sight, growing sicker and costing taxpayers more

Study uncovers a surprising connection between sugar metabolism and alcohol addiction

Heavy drinking fuels Alzheimer’s disease by igniting brain inflammation and protein damage

Study identifies thalamic pathway that reinforces alcohol seeking in withdrawal

Quitting smoking linked to better recovery from drug and alcohol addiction

As California’s behavioral health workforce buckles, help is years away

Psychedelic treatments show promise for treating PTSD and depression

People with alcohol use disorder and depression report high pleasure from drinking

How alcohol impacts male health

Can monitoring and encouraging physical activity through phone-based apps improve glycemic control and weight loss in type 2 diabetes patients?

California voters are skeptical that more money is the answer to homelessness

Brain peptide identified as key player in heavy alcohol drinking

Mast cell receptor linked to alcohol withdrawal-associated headaches

UCR researcher receives $3 million grant to prevent alcohol abuse among Pacific Islander young adults

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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