Latest news with #SimoneBraca
New York Post
2 days ago
- Health
- New York Post
This weight loss drug can reduce your migraine days by half — it's not Ozempic
Next-generation weight loss drugs may do more than shrink your waistline. A new study suggests that a medication in the same family as Ozempic could cut the number of days people suffer from migraines by more than half. 'Most patients felt better within the first two weeks and reported quality of life improved significantly,' said Dr. Simone Braca, a neurologist at the University of Naples Federico II and lead author of the study. Advertisement 4 Migraines affect roughly 12% of the US population aged 12 and up. astrosystem – Researchers tested liraglutide, a medication that mimics the GLP-1 hormone, which helps regulate blood sugar, suppress appetite and aid digestion. The drug is currently marketed as Victoza for Type 2 diabetes and as Saxenda for long-term weight management in people with obesity. Advertisement The researchers gave liraglutide to 31 adults with obesity and chronic migraines, defined as 15 or more headache days per month. Before joining the study, each participant had tried at least two other migraine-prevention drugs without success. 4 Liraglutide belongs to a class of medications known as GLP-1 receptor agonists. luchschenF – After taking a daily 1.8 milligram dose of liraglutide for three months, their average headache days dropped from 20 to about nine per month. Advertisement Participants also saw a 35-point drop on the Migraine Disability Assessment Test, which signals a meaningful improvement in their work, school and social life. 'The benefit lasted for the full three-month observation period, even though weight loss was modest and statistically non-significant,' Braca said. Rather than weight loss easing migraines, researchers believe the drug works by lowering the pressure of cerebrospinal fluid — the liquid surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Advertisement 'An increased pressure of the spinal fluid in the brain may be one of the mechanisms underlying migraine,' Braca told ABC News. 'If we target this mechanism, this preliminary evidence suggests it may help migraine sufferers.' 4 Some participants experienced mild gastrointestinal side effects while taking liraglutide. Choi_ Nikolai – The drug was generally well-tolerated, with about 38% of participants reporting mild side effects like nausea and constipation, but none stopped treatment because of them. 'Our findings show liraglutide may be effective for treating stubborn, high-frequency migraines in patients with obesity, and that this effect is independent of weight loss,' the researchers concluded in Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain. The team is planning a larger follow-up study to measure brain pressure more directly. 'We also want to see if other GLP-1 drugs can provide similar relief, possibly with fewer gastrointestinal side effects,' Braca noted. More than just a bad headache At least 39 million Americans suffer from migraines, but the American Migraine Foundation estimates the true number is likely higher since many go undiagnosed. Advertisement The debilitating neurological condition causes throbbing head pain that can last hours or even days, often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, vision changes and sensitivity to light and sound. 4 Studies show that women are two to three times more likely to experience migraines than men. Studio Romantic – Migraines can take a serious toll on daily life, often leading to missed work or school, reduced productivity, strained relationships and even withdrawal from social events and hobbies. Advertisement On top of that, migraines are strongly linked to depression, anxiety and other mental health challenges — and they're associated with a higher risk of stroke, heart disease and other chronic illnesses. Scientists don't yet know exactly what causes migraines, but genetics play a big role: up to 80% of sufferers have a close family member who also has the condition, according to the Cleveland Clinic. There's still no cure for migraines. While some medications can ease symptoms, they don't work for everyone. That's why this new study has experts buzzing. Advertisement 'These patients were dealing with at least 15 headache days a month, and on average, they had 11 fewer days after taking the medication for just three months,' Dr. Luis Felipe Tornes, a neurologist, told Medical News Today. 'That's life-changing for someone living with near-constant pain,' he added, noting that the drug's possible role in reducing brain pressure 'opens up a whole new way to think about treating migraines.'
Medical News Today
4 days ago
- Health
- Medical News Today
GLP-1 drugs may help reduce chronic migraine days by about half, study finds
Monthly migraine frequency depends on a person's health and exposure to triggers. Currently, migraine is treated through medications and various lifestyle changes. A new study says that GLP-1 medications used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity may help cut a person's monthly migraine days by about half. Researchers estimate that more than 1 billion people globally live with migraine, a neurological condition causing severe, chronic headaches that are often accompanied by other issues such as nausea and light number of migraine headaches a person has each month varies depending on their situation and overall health. Those with chronic migraine can experience them for 15 or more days each month. Migraine headaches also range in severity and length of time, normally lasting anywhere between four to 72 hours. Currently, migraine is treated through medications and lifestyle changes to help stop migraine triggers from occurring, such as stress, poor sleep, certain foods, and environmental factors like strong smells, loud noises, or bright light. 'Despite new advancements, there is still an unmet need in migraine treatment, imposing a substantial burden on patients,' Simone Braca, MD, a neurology resident and clinical research fellow at the Headache Centre of the University of Naples in Italy, told Medical News Today. Braca is the lead author of a new study recently presented at the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) Congress 2025 that has found that glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist medications used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity may help cut a person's monthly migraine days by about half. The study was published in the journal on the GLP-1 agonist liraglutideFor this study, researchers recruited 31 study participants with both obesity and chronic migraine, who were given the GLP-1 medication liraglutide. Liraglutide is currently sold under two brand names: Victoza for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, and Saxenda for chronic weight management. 'In our country it was easier to have access to liraglutide, compared to other GLP-1 agonists,' Braca explained. 'In any case, we think that the observed effect reflects a mechanism of action inherent to targeting the GLP-1 receptor.'Braca said they decided to study the potential impact of GLP-1s on migraine based on previous work done by their research team, which suspected that a derangement in intracranial pressure control plays a role in the pathophysiology of migraine.'Since GLP-1R agonists are known to greatly modulate and reduce intracranial pressure, we therefore hypothesized that these drugs could be effective in migraine,' he said. 9 fewer migraine days per month with GLP-1At the study's conclusion, Braca and his team found that study participants taking liraglutide had an average of nine fewer migraine days each month. 'They saw their headache days per month drastically reduced, with consequent improvement in their quality of life,' Braca commented. Additionally, researchers also discovered that study participants experienced a drop in their Migraine Disability Assessment Test scores by 32 points. '(This) means that they saw their migraine-related burden drastically reduced, adding a nuanced view on their quality of life improvement beyond the raw number of headache days,' Braca said. 'If confirmed by subsequent larger, multicenter, randomized, and controlled studies, GLP-1 agonists may represent a novel class of drugs for migraine prevention,' he continued. 'Additionally, this would place intracranial pressure control as one of the mechanisms underlying migraine, a pharmacologically-targetable one.'Braca added that they plan to conduct a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled study as this was a pilot, exploratory that could potentially be life-changingMNT spoke with Hsinlin Thomas Cheng, MD, PhD, senior neurologist in the Department of Neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, about this study. 'The study helps to answer a common question: whether GLP-1 agonists can reduce the frequency of migraines,' Cheng said. 'The hypothesis is supported by the facts that there are GLP-1 receptors in the choroid plexus, the structure that produces cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and regulates intracranial pressure, and weight loss is an essential component of headache management. Using GLP-1 agonists may provide dual benefits in regulating CSF pressure and weight control, thereby reducing migraine frequency.' Luis Felipe Tornes, MD, neurologist and director of the epilepsy program at Miami Neuroscience Institute, part of Baptist Health South Florida, told MNT he was cautiously enthusiastic about this research's findings.'As a neurologist who treats people with chronic migraines, seeing a diabetes medication cut migraine days in half was exciting,' Tornes said. 'These patients were dealing with at least 15 headache days a month, and on average, they had 11 fewer days after taking the medication for just three months. That's life-changing for someone living with near-constant pain. And the effect didn't seem to be from weight loss — it may be helping by reducing intracranial pressure, which opens up a whole new way to think about treating migraines.'— Luis Felipe Tornes, MDMNT also spoke with Hao Huang, MD, a neurologist at Hackensack University Medical Center and assistant professor of Neurology at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine in New Jersey, about this research. He commented that while the reduction in headache days is impressive, the study is small and lacks direct measurement of intracranial pressure.'For next steps in the research of migraines, and in this particular case, the role of GLP-1-receptor agonists, it would be helpful to see a larger group of migraine patients in studies,' Huang said. 'It'll be interesting to see what this research team finds in their next study into whether other GLP-1 drugs can positively affect migraine sufferers without the physical discomfort experienced by the participants of the pilot study,' he added.
6 days ago
- Health
Diabetes drug may cut migraine days in half with little weight loss: Study
Drugs in the same family as Ozempic and Wegovy are known for treating diabetes and helping with weight loss, but a small, early-stage study suggested they might also ease migraines -- even when there's no weight loss. The benefit appears to come from lowering pressure in the brain, Dr. Simone Braca, a neurologist at the University of Naples Federico II and lead author of the study, explained to ABC News. 'This study is very interesting in that the GLP 1s are hypothesized to lower brain pressure, which can then lower your chance of getting a headache or a migraine,' Braca said. The small, 12-week study tracked 26 adults with obesity who had chronic or frequent migraines. Published in Headache -- the official journal of the American Headache Society -- and presented at this week's European Academy of Neurology meeting in Finland, it tested liraglutide, a type of GLP-1 drug commonly used for diabetes and weight loss. After taking a daily 1.8 mg dose of liraglutide for three months -- the amount typically used to treat diabetes -- their average number of headache days per month dropped from 20 to about nine. Participants also reported less disability from migraines, with scores on a standard headache impact scale cut by more than half. Although some participants lost a small amount of weight, Braca said the few lost pounds were not meaningful enough to explain the improvement in migraines. Instead, Braca pointed to pressure from cerebrospinal fluid -- the liquid that surrounds and cushions the brain and spine. He said he believes that even slight buildups of this fluid can press on nearby veins and nerves in the brain, potentially triggering migraines. 'An increased pressure of the spinal fluid in the brain may be one of the mechanisms underlying migraine,' Braca said. 'And if we target this mechanism, this preliminary evidence suggests that it may be helpful for migraine.' Nearly half of patients reported at least a 50% reduction in headache days, according to the Headache paper. About 40% experienced mild side effects like nausea or constipation. None stopped taking the medication. With such promising results, Braca and his research team, led by Dr. Roberto De Simone, are already planning larger trials. Future studies will measure brain pressure more directly and explore whether other GLP 1 drugs might also offer the same relief but with fewer side effects. 'There are still a substantial portion of migraine patients that face an unmet need and that live with its burden,' he said. 'New drugs that could target other pathways, I think that could be reassuring to those patients and give them hope.' The study adds to growing evidence that GLP-1 drugs may have benefits beyond diabetes and weight loss. Researchers are already studying these medications for a range of other conditions, including reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke, easing symptoms of addiction and treating Alzheimer's disease.
