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Ozempic-like substance abuse to deal with type 2 diabetes and weight problems might likewise deal with migraine, even when the medications do not activate weight reduction, early research study recommends.
An initial report, released in the journal Headache and provided June 21 at the European Academy of Neurology (EAN)conference, recommends that liraglutide– a substance abuse to deal with weight problems and diabetes– slashed the variety of days clients experienced serious migraines by nearly half. Liraglutide comes from a class of drugs called GLP-1 agonistswhich likewise consists of semaglutide, the active component in the diabetes drug Ozempic and weight-loss drug Wegovy.
While the concept of dealing with migraines with these drugs is “extremely innovative and forward-thinking,” the brand-new outcomes must be taken with care. That’s due to the fact that the trial was little and didn’t consist of a contrast group that didn’t utilize the medication, Dr. Alex Sinclaira neurologist at the University of Birmingham in the U.K. who wasn’t associated with the research study, informed Live Science.
“This is an absolutely tantalizing research study because it gives us a really interesting idea of a new mechanism of delivering drugs for migraine,” Sinclair informed Live Science. “But it is very preliminary.”
This “very important and exciting finding” might possibly offer “another treatment option for patients with chronic migraine, especially for those who did not previously respond to other current available treatments,” stated Dr. Chia-Chun Chiangan associate teacher of neurology at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota who wasn’t associated with the research study.
Migraine days halved
To examine the result of liraglutide on migraine, Dr. Simone Bracaa neurologist at the University of Naples Federico II in Italy, and coworkers offered 31 clients with weight problems and high-frequency or persistent migraine 0.6 milligrams of liraglutide daily for one week, followed by 1.2 mg daily for the next 11 weeks.
After 12 weeks, almost half of the clients reported that their variety of headache days each month had actually dropped, from approximately 20 to 9. This was a “huge” result, Braca informed Live Science.
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7 individuals saw their headache days visit 75%, and one client’s migraines vanished totally. In general, the clients likewise reported a big drop in just how much migraine hindered their every day lives. Significantly, the individuals did not shed weight throughout the research study. This recommends the enhancement in migraine wasn’t connected to weight reduction, a notable observation because weight problems is understood to boost the threat of serious headaches.
Related: Can weight-loss drugs assist you consume less alcohol?
Braca highlighted that these clients had actually been chosen due to the fact that they had actually not reacted to other migraine drugs, such as antibodies that target calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), a particle launched in the brain throughout a migraine.
The research study authors have some theories about what may be occurring, however they didn’t gather measurements that might show a system of action. GLP-1 drugs might lower pressure inside the skull by reducing the production of cerebrospinal fluid, which showers the brain and spine, the scientists recommended. This, in turn, might lower the release of CGRPwhich lots of researchers believe fuels migraine discomfort.
In assistance of that hypothesis, Braca’s group indicated a previous research study led by Sinclair and released in the journal Brain in 2023. It recommended that exenatide, another GLP-1 drug, reduces brain pressure. Of note the drug appeared to minimize migraine days amongst the research study individuals, although it was not able to reveal a strong analytical distinction.
Other possible systems underpinning the impact in the brand-new research study results might be that liraglutide straight minimized the release of CGRP or that the drug managed glucose metabolic process, Chiang stated. Previous research study has actually recommended that migraine might be connected to problems in glucose metabolic process.
The brand-new research study has crucial constraints, however, Sinclair stated. The research study was really little, with just 31 individuals, and it lasted just 12 weeks. Another considerable constraint is that the trial did not consist of a placebo group. The placebo impactby which individuals’s signs enhance even with a sham treatment, is especially strong when it concerns self-reported discomfort.
“We have a big placebo response in headache research,” Sinclair informed Live Science.
Braca concurred that the trial had constraints. Still, “both the history of multiple previous treatment failures and the magnitude of the observed response reduce the likelihood of a significant placebo effect,” Braca stated.
The outcomes now require to be verified in bigger, placebo-controlled medical trials before they might direct treatment for clients with migraine. If verified, nevertheless, the findings might open a brand-new line of questions for migraine treatment, Braca stated.
This post is for informative functions just and is not implied to use medical suggestions.
Marianne is a freelance science reporter concentrating on health, area, and tech. She especially likes discussing weight problems, neurology, and transmittable illness, however likewise likes digging into business of science and tech. Marianne was formerly a news editor at The Lancet and Nature Medicine and the U.K. science press reporter for Business Insider. Before ending up being an author, Marianne was a researcher studying how the body battles infections from malaria parasites and gut germs.
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