Weight-loss jab may help people stop smoking, researchers suggest

The weight-loss jab Wegovy may help people quit smoking, researchers suggest.

Smokers with type 2 diabetes who took semaglutide were less likely to need medical care linked to their smoking, a study found.

Researchers said the findings indicate the drug, sold under the brand name Wegovy, should be investigated for its use in helping people stop smoking.

Compared to seven other diabetes medications, using semaglutide was associated with a lower risk for medical care related to tobacco addiction (tobacco use disorder - TUD), the study found.

Those who used the drug were less likely to be diagnosed with TUD, be prescribed medication to stop smoking or be given smoking cessation counselling.

In the journal Annals of Internal Medicine the researchers said: "Semaglutide was associated with reduced smoking cessation medication prescriptions and counselling.

"Similar findings were observed in patients with and without a diagnosis of obesity."

They added: "These findings suggest the need for clinical trials to evaluate semaglutide's potential for TUD treatment."

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Reduced desire to smoke

There have previously been reports of a reduced desire to smoke in patients treated with semaglutide, raising interest in its potential to help people stop smoking.

The researchers, from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the National Institutes of Health, and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in the US, said similar effects were observed in and with a diagnosis of obesity and results were seen primarily within 30 days of prescription.

Semaglutide is prescribed as a weight-loss drug in the UK and is approved for use to help reduce the risk of heart problems in those who are overweight or obese.