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Ziyad Al-Aly

Ziyad Al-Aly

Clinical epidemiologist, Washington University in St. Louis

Appears in 2 stories

Notable Quotes

"It works uniformly, not because it acts against alcohol or opioids or nicotine specifically, but because it is likely acting against the craving itself. It blunts that craving that pulls people toward whatever they're addicted to." — Ziyad Al-Aly, March 2026

Stories

GLP-1 weight loss drugs face scrutiny over muscle loss, but new research suggests fears may be overblown

New Capabilities

Active researcher studying GLP-1 benefits and risks

More than 30 million Americans now take GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy to lose weight. A persistent concern has dogged the medications since their rise: that they burn through muscle along with fat, leaving patients weaker even as they get thinner. A study published in Cell Reports Medicine in March 2026 found that while GLP-1 drugs do reduce lean body mass, the rate of muscle loss is not disproportionate to what occurs with diet and exercise alone — and crucially, patients' actual strength remained unchanged.

Updated Mar 28

Weight-loss drugs show broad power to prevent and reduce addiction

New Capabilities

Lead author of the March 2026 BMJ study

Drugs designed to control blood sugar and shrink waistlines may also quiet the cravings that drive addiction. A study of more than 600,000 United States veterans, published March 4 in The BMJ, found that people taking GLP-1 medications were 14 percent less likely to develop a new substance use disorder and, if they already had one, experienced 50 percent fewer substance-related deaths and 39 percent fewer overdoses.

Updated Mar 6