Weight-loss medications exhibit surprising potential in combatting disabling migraines
A recent study has shed light on a novel and promising avenue for migraine treatment, with GLP-1 receptor agonists, a class of drugs commonly used to manage type 2 diabetes and obesity, showing potential in reducing migraine frequency by nearly half.
The study, led by neurologist Simone Braca of the University of Naples Federico II in Italy, involved 31 adults, primarily women, who received daily injections of liraglutide, a GLP-1 drug, for 12 weeks. The research was presented at the European Academy of Neurology Congress in Helsinki, Finland, on June 21.
At the start of the experiment, participants reported headaches about 20 days out of a month. After 12 weeks of liraglutide, the average number dropped to about 11 days, a significant reduction in migraine days. The relief from migraines lasted for the full three-month observation period.
The study did not include a comparison group, but the findings are still noteworthy. The researchers plan to conduct a randomized, double-blind trial that will also measure pressure inside the skull to further validate these results.
The benefit appears to come from GLP-1 drugs’ ability to lower intracranial pressure, which is hypothesized to reduce the chance and severity of migraines. This pressure-lowering effect is considered a key mechanism distinct from the weight loss aspect of these drugs.
People with chronic or frequent migraines, especially those who also have obesity, were the subjects of initial studies and appear to be suitable candidates. However, research is still early, and broader migraine populations may be considered in the future as evidence grows.
Since GLP-1 drugs are primarily approved for type 2 diabetes and obesity treatment, patients with these conditions plus migraines might be likely candidates. Liraglutide, the GLP-1 drug used in the study, is considered a 'middle-aged' GLP-1 drug compared to Ozempic and Mounjaro.
It's worth noting that weight loss was "modest and statistically non-significant" during the trial, suggesting that the headache reductions weren't tied to weight loss. Liraglutide is not frequently used for weight loss or diabetes due to its perceived lower effectiveness in these areas.
The study, published in the journal Headache last month, suggests promising future uses of GLP-1 drugs. The researchers aim to determine whether other GLP-1 drugs can deliver the same migraine relief with potentially fewer gastrointestinal side effects, which were mild in 38% of participants but did not lead to treatment discontinuation.
Khloe Quill, a lifestyle production assistant with our website Digital, covers topics including food and drink, travel, and health. This article offers a glimpse into the exciting potential of GLP-1 drugs in migraine treatment, with further research needed to expand the understanding and approval for widespread migraine treatment use.
- This exciting potential of GLP-1 drugs in migraine treatment, as indicated by a recent study, offers a promising avenue for managing chronic or frequent migraines, particularly for individuals who also have obesity.
- The study, published in the journal Headache, found that liraglutide, a GLP-1 drug, significantly reduced migraine days from an average of 20 to about 11 days over a 12-week period, without a significant weight loss.
- Interestingly, the study suggests that the headache reductions weren't tied to weight loss, but rather to GLP-1 drugs’ ability to lower intracranial pressure, which is hypothesized to reduce the chance and severity of migraines.
- The researchers plan to conduct further studies, including a randomized, double-blind trial, to measure pressure inside the skull and validate these results, and potentially explore the use of other GLP-1 drugs with fewer gastrointestinal side effects.
- In light of these findings, people with chronic or frequent migraines, especially those who also have obesity, may be suitable candidates for GLP-1 drugs, which are primarily approved for type 2 diabetes and obesity treatment.
