Study finds Ozempic reduces Tobacco-related medical encounters in Diabetic smokers
A recent study published in the “Annals of Internal Medicine” reveals that smokers with type 2 diabetes who are prescribed Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic experience significantly fewer tobacco-related medical encounters compared to those taking other diabetes medications. The study, based on electronic health records of nearly 229,000 patients, including 6,000 Ozempic users, highlights that those on Ozempic had up to 32% fewer discussions about tobacco use with healthcare providers, 68% fewer prescriptions for smoking cessation aids, and 21% fewer instances of receiving smoking cessation counseling in the year following treatment initiation.
The researchers suggest that the active ingredient in Ozempic, semaglutide, may be influencing these outcomes. Previous reports have indicated that semaglutide could reduce the desire to smoke by diminishing nicotine’s reward effects in the brain. Notably, Novo Nordisk’s weight-loss drug, Wegovy, also contains semaglutide.
However, the study did not assess whether patients actually reduced or quit tobacco use after starting treatment. The observed reduction in tobacco-related medical encounters might reflect decreased tobacco use, but it could also indicate a lower propensity to seek help for quitting smoking. The researchers are calling for further clinical trials to explore the potential of semaglutide as a smoking cessation aid.
The study compared Ozempic to various classes of diabetes drugs, including insulins, metformin, DPP-4 inhibitors, SGLT-2 inhibitors, sulfonylureas, and thiazolidinediones, among others.
