How alcohol affects people after weight-loss (bariatric) surgery

Pharmacokinetics and Responses to Alcohol After Bariatric Surgery

NIH-funded research University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign · NIH-11163294

This project looks at how people's bodies process alcohol and how alcohol makes them feel after sleeve gastrectomy or gastric bypass surgery.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Champaign, United States)
Project IDNIH-11163294 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

You would join a team that enrolls adults who have had sleeve gastrectomy (SG) or Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and gives controlled amounts of alcohol while taking repeated blood samples. The researchers will measure peak blood alcohol levels, how quickly alcohol is cleared, and ask how intoxicated you feel. They will also compare drinking with and without a meal to see if food still reduces alcohol absorption after surgery. The approach is meant to explain why these surgeries raise the risk of alcohol problems and to guide safer drinking advice.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults who have had sleeve gastrectomy or Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and who drink alcohol or are willing to drink small, supervised amounts for testing.

Not a fit: People who have never had bariatric surgery, minors, or those who do not drink alcohol are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could give people who had bariatric surgery clearer, evidence-based guidance to lower their risk of alcohol-related harm and addiction.

How similar studies have performed: Prior studies, including the team's earlier NIH-funded work, have already shown SG and RYGB can double peak blood alcohol levels and increase alcohol sensitivity, so this builds on established findings.

Where this research is happening

Champaign, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions Alcoholic Liver Diseases
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.