Alcoholism Trial Results: Ibudilast Proves Ineffective in General, Offers Benefits Only for Female Participants
Updated, Casual Tone Article:
A Potential Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder Flops, But Holds Promise for Women
It seems a drug, ibudilast, promised for treating alcohol use disorder (AUD) didn't quite deliver the goods. Researchers from UCLA found that the drug didn't pull out more victories than a placebo overall.
However, there was a silver lining – for the ladies!
"Ibudilast wasn't great for everyone, but it seemed to work better for women," said Lara Ray, the study's lead researcher. "They drank fewer drinks per day than men taking the same drug."
The study gathered 102 brave volunteers with AUD who took either ibudilast or a placebo for 12 weeks. Both groups managed to cut back on their drinking, making it challenging to distinguish the impact of the medication.
"It's a challenge with AUD trials," Ray added. "Regardless of medication, everyone tends to improve from the whole treatment setting."
Importantly, Ray's team discovered that females with higher levels of depressive symptoms experienced better results with the placebo, suggesting a complex interplay between mood, inflammation, and treatment results.
Despite the initial setback, Ray's team remains hopeful. "Immune treatments have revolutionized cancer treatment, and we're giving a similar shot at AUD," stated Ray.
The study came as the culmination of years of work from Ray's research group, the UCLA Addictions Lab. Future investigations will focus on longer studies, aiming to separate active medication impacts from the overall context of treatment.
While ibudilast didn't shine in the most recent study, it hadn't snuffed out promises for female AUD patients.
About this Alcohol Use Disorder Research News:
Author: Holly Ober
Source: UCLA
Image: The image is credited to our website
Additional Insight:
The findings indicate that ibudilast might prove more effective for women battling AUD than men. Further exploration into the drug's potential as a targeted treatment for female AUD patients is worthwhile. Equally interesting is the apparent link between inflammation, depression, and AUD treatment outcomes.
- The study on ibudilast, a potential treatment for alcohol use disorder (AUD), didn't show significant results overall, but it seemed to work better for women.
- Lara Ray, the study's lead researcher, stated that ibudilast wasn't great for everyone, but it seemed to work better for women, who drank fewer drinks per day than men taking the same drug.
- The study, a collaboration between UCLA researchers, gathered 102 volunteers with AUD who took either ibudilast or a placebo for 12 weeks.
- Both groups, including those on ibudilast, managed to cut back on their drinking, making it challenging to distinguish the impact of the medication.
- Ray's team discovered that females with higher levels of depressive symptoms experienced better results with the placebo, suggesting a complex interplay between mood, inflammation, and treatment results.
- Immune treatments have revolutionized cancer treatment, and Ray's team remains hopeful that similar approaches might work for AUD.
- The study is a culmination of years of work from Ray's research group, the UCLA Addictions Lab, and future investigations will focus on longer studies to separate active medication impacts from the overall context of treatment.
- The findings indicate that ibudilast might prove more effective for women battling AUD than men, and further exploration into the drug's potential as a targeted treatment for female AUD patients is worthwhile. Additionally, the study highlights the apparent link between inflammation, depression, and AUD treatment outcomes, which brings new light to the intersection of neuroscience, psychology, and mental health, as well as the possible impacts of chronic diseases, climate change, environmental science, and women's health on these conditions.
