The damaging effects of long-term alcohol use on the body are well-known. It not only weakens your immune system but also makes the body a much easier target for myriad health issues.
The World Health Organization estimates that worldwide three million people die every year from alcohol use disorder.
To effectively combat problem drinking, researchers from Oregon Health & Science University have identified a medication used to treat a common skin condition that might prove to be an ‘incredibly promising’ treatment for alcohol addiction.
Researchers at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California tested the medication called apremilast on people with alcohol use disorder who weren’t seeking any form of treatment. 51 people were assessed over 11 days of treatment, they were able to reduce their alcohol intake by more than half — from five drinks per day to two.
Researchers think that apremilast may be even more effective among people who are motivated to reduce or control their alcohol dependence.
“Apremilast’s large effect size on reducing drinking, combined with its good tolerability in our participants, suggests it is an excellent candidate for further evaluation as a novel treatment for people with alcohol use disorder,” said co-senior author Barbara Mason, Ph.D., Pearson Family professor in the Department of Molecular Medicine at Scripps.
