Weight loss jab could be used to treat migraines

Independent

6 hours ago

Weight loss jabs could cut the number of migraines sufferers experience by half, research suggests.
The drugs, similar to Ozempic and Wegovy, also known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, work by mimicking the natural hormone which regulates blood sugar, appetite and digestion.
Researchers have discovered, GLP-1 drug liraglutide, commonly used to treat diabetes, has the potential to significantly reduce migraine frequency.
Migraines affect approximately 6 million people in the UK, according to the NHS. Attacks can last for three days causing pain, nausea, vomiting, dizziness and sensitivity to light, sound and smells.
Researchers at the Headache Centre of the University of Naples gave 26 adults with obesity and chronic migraines the drug liraglutide.
The study presented at the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) Congress 2025, found those who had the drug reported an average of 11 fewer headache days per month.
Participants also experienced meaningful improvements in quality of life, work, study, and social functioning within just two weeks of taking the drug.
'Most patients felt better within the first two weeks and reported quality of life improved significantly', said lead researcher Dr Simone Braca.
'The benefit lasted for the full three-month observation period, even though weight loss was modest and statistically non-significant.'
Growing evidence has linked subtle increases in intracranial pressure to migraine attacks.
It's caused by a rise in the pressure of cerebrospinal fluid – which surrounds the brain and spinal cord. This increase in pressure can happen because of a severe head injury, stroke, a brain tumour or high blood pressure.
But GLP-1-receptor agonists such as liraglutide reduce cerebrospinal fluid secretion and have already proved effective in treating idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH).
Patients in the study were screened to exclude papilledema (optic disc swelling resulting from increased intracranial pressure) and sixth nerve palsy, ruling out IIH.
Dr Braca and colleagues believe GLP-1 drugs may reduce the release of CGRP (calcitonin gene-related peptide), a key molecule behind migraines.
'We think that, by modulating cerebrospinal fluid pressure and reducing intracranial venous sinuses compression, these drugs produce a decrease in the release of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), a key migraine-promoting peptide', Dr Braca said.
'That would pose intracranial pressure control as a brand-new, pharmacologically targetable pathway.'
Given liraglutide's established use in type 2 diabetes and obesity, it may represent a promising case of drug repurposing in neurology, study authors said.