Skip to main content

Semaglutide May Lower Risk for Opioid Overdose in T2DM, Opioid Use Disorder

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on Sep 25, 2024.

via HealthDay

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 25, 2024 -- For patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and opioid use disorder (OUD), semaglutide is associated with a significantly lower risk for opioid overdose compared with other antidiabetic medications, according to a research letter published online Sept. 25 in JAMA Network Open.

William Wang, from the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, and colleagues conducted an emulation target trial to compare the association of semaglutide versus other antidiabetic medications with opioid overdose risk among patients with comorbid T2D and OUD. The study included 33,006 eligible patients: 3,034 prescribed semaglutide and 29,972 prescribed other antidiabetic medications.

The researchers found that during one-year follow-up, semaglutide was associated with a significantly lower risk for opioid overdose compared with other antidiabetic medications, including other glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists, with hazard ratios varying from 0.32 to 0.58. No difference between the groups was seen in the negative control outcome (medical encounters for congenital malformations, deformations, and chromosomal abnormalities).

"Semaglutide was associated with reduced opioid overdose risk in patients with comorbid T2D and OUD, suggesting its potential therapeutic value for preventing overdoses," the authors write.

Abstract/Full Text

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Read this next

Stigma of Substance Use Disorder Varies by Condition, Provider

WEDNESDAY, July 30, 2025 -- Health care provider stigma toward substance use disorder (SUD) varies by condition and provider, according to a study published online July 23 in...

Perioperative Counseling Reduces Opioid Use After ACL Reconstruction Surgery

TUESDAY, July 29, 2025 -- Opioid-limiting pain management education and counseling reduce opioid consumption with no increase in postoperative pain among patients undergoing...

Prediabetes Risk Doubled for Asian, Pacific Islander Teens With Overweight, Obesity

TUESDAY, July 29, 2025 -- Among adolescents with overweight or obesity, prediabetes is more than twice as common in Asian and Pacific Islander (Asian/PI) adolescents than in White...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.