Blockbuster weight-loss shots may slash migraine days in half for millions of sufferers, a study suggests.
Researchers in Italy gave 31 obese adults suffering from chronic or frequent migraines liraglutide, the active ingredient in weight-loss drugs Victoza and Saxenda.
After three months, the participants’ average number of migraine days dropped from 20 to 11.
They also said their migraines were less disabling, meaning they were able to function better at work, school, social settings or around the house.
While participants lost a small amount of weight, which has been shown to reduce migraine frequency by lowering inflammation and muscle strain, weight loss likely isn’t what reduced migraines.
The researchers believe liraglutide alleviates pressure from cerebrospinal fluid, the protective liquid that cushions the brain and spine.
Dr Simone Braca, lead study author and neurologist at the University of Naples Federico II, suggests even slight buildups of cerebrospinal fluid can press on veins and nerves in the brain, which could trigger migraines.
He suggested targeting cerebrospinal fluid levels could make migraines a thing of the past for the 47million Americans who suffer from them.
Researchers in Italy found liraglutide, the active ingredient in weight-loss drugs Victoza and Saxenda, may reduce migraine frequency by 50 percent (stock image)
The above chart shows the average number of migraine days before and after participants started liraglutide
Dr Braca told ABC News: ‘An increased pressure of the spinal fluid in the brain may be one of the mechanisms underlying migraine.
‘And if we target this mechanism, this preliminary evidence suggests that it may be helpful for migraine.’
Migraines are a severe form of headache that causes throbbing, pulsing pain, usually on one side of the head.
These can last hours or days at a time and be triggered by stress, hormonal fluctuations, sleep issues, foods or drinks, smells, lights, noise and weather changes, among others.
About one in seven Americans suffers migraines, but for women, that number is closer to one in five. This may be due to hormones like estrogen and menstrual cycles, as well as certain genes that increase susceptibility.
Meanwhile, about one in eight Americans, or 40million, has reported taking a GLP-1 agonist like Victoza or Ozempic – which uses semaglutide as the active ingredient instead of liraglutide – at some point.
The new study, published earlier this month in the journal Headache, looked at 31 obese adults who had at least eight headache days per month or were diagnosed with chronic migraine.
Chronic migraine, which impacts about 4million Americans, is defined as having at least 15 headache days in a month.
Study participants also had to have failed at least two standard migraine medications and have a body mass index (BMI) of at least 30, the threshold for obesity.
The vast majority, 26, were female, and the average participant age was 45.
They were given a 0.6 milligram dose of liraglutide every day for one week and then a 1.2 milligram dose every day for the remainder of the four weeks. All participants were asked to stay on their current migraine drugs if they took them.
Using the patients’ self-recorded symptom ‘diaries,’ the researchers found 15 patients had at least a 50 percent reduction in migraine frequency
Seven participants (23 percent) saw their migraines drop by 75 percent, and one patient had no headaches at all after the study.
On average, migraine days decreased from 20 to 11, a 42 percent difference.
About one in eight Americans, or 40million, has reported taking a GLP-1 agonist like Victoza or Ozempic (pictured here)
The team also measured each patient’s Migraine Disability Assessment Score (MIDAS), which defines how much their migraines can disable them and make them less functional at work, school or home on a given day.
A higher score is associated with greater disability.
The researchers found MIDAS scores decreased from 60 to 29 on average, a 52 percent difference.
Participants on average lost a small amount of weight, but it was not statistically significant.
About 42 percent of participants (13) had mild side effects including nausea and constipation, but all of them stayed on the medication.
There were several limitations to the study, such as the small sample size and the lack of data on glucose or A1C levels, which are linked to diabetes.
The team wrote: ‘Future studies, with extended follow-up durations, and higher dose evaluations, are necessary to better understand the long-term tolerability and effectiveness of liraglutide in migraine prevention.’
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .