Overview

• In a 12-week pilot study of 26 obese adults with chronic migraine, daily liraglutide reduced average monthly headache days by 11 and lowered migraine disability assessment scores by 35 points.
• Analysis of covariance confirmed that modest BMI changes did not influence headache frequency, reinforcing the theory that pressure modulation drives the drug’s migraine relief.
• Mild gastrointestinal side effects, chiefly nausea and constipation, occurred in 38% of participants but did not lead to any treatment discontinuations.
• Researchers at the University of Naples 'Federico II' plan a larger, double-blind trial with direct or indirect intracranial pressure measurements to further evaluate GLP-1 receptor agonists in migraine prevention.
• Given its established role in treating type 2 diabetes and obesity, liraglutide represents a promising case of drug repurposing for the estimated one in seven people worldwide who suffer from migraines.