AVENTURA, Fla. – A medication used for heart problems and high blood pressure may also be effective for treating alcohol use disorder.
A study by the National Institutes of Health found that the medication Spironalactone, which goes by the brand name Aldactone, may play a role in reducing drinking.
“It works by a unique mechanism -- it blocks mineralocorticoid receptors and there are mineralocorticoid receptors throughout the body, including the brain and the liver, and these studies suggest that people who take this drug, which is very safe, can reduce alcohol consumption and this is seen in both the rat model and the human model, and it’s really exciting,” said cardiologist Dr. Leonard Pianko.
Because spironalactone is a diuretic, Pianko said patients need to be closely monitored for potassium levels and kidney function.
Currently, there are three medications approved for alcohol use disorder in the U.S. and they’ve been proven effective in the treatment of people with this condition.
If you’re dealing with a substance abuse disorder, contact the National Drug Helpline Addiction hotline at (844) 289-0879.
Also in today’s health news, a recent study out of the Netherlands found that elevated blood glucose poses a threat to the eyes, even prior to a diabetes diagnosis.
The researchers found corneal nerve damage even in those with prediabetes, suggesting that the damage is a process that starts long before the onset of type-2 diabetes
According to the CDC, approximately 96 million Americans, more than one in three, have prediabetes and 80 percent don’t even know it.