Generic Heart Pill Shows Early Promise for Alcohol Use Disorder
A generic drug used for decades to treat heart failure and high blood pressure shows early potential as a treatment for alcohol use disorder, a new study suggests.The pill, spironolactone, costs pennies a day and is most often prescribed as a diuretic to reduce fluid retention in patients with heart failure. The drug works by blocking proteins known as mineralocorticoid receptors, which are located throughout the body and play a role in maintaining a healthy balance of fluids and electrolytes. Some previous lab experiments also suggest that these proteins may play a role in alcohol use.For the new study, researchers tested the effects of spironolactone in mice and rats, then examined medical records for more than two million people who drank alcohol to see if taking the drug was associated…