Weight-Loss Drugs May Also Ease Chronic Migraines, New Study Suggests
Weight loss drugs have been linked to lowering the risk of many serious conditions, including dementia. Now, experts are saying they can mitigate a common malady: migraines.
New Study Links GLP-1 Supplements to Migraine Reduction
The study, the findings of which will be unveiled in April at the 2026 American Academy of Neurology’s Annual Meeting, analyzed 11,000 patients who suffer from chronic migraines. Chronic migraines are “defined by having a headache on 15 or more days per month for at least three months,” per a press release announcing the results of the study. Symptoms of a migraine can include “nausea, vomiting, changes in mood, extreme tiredness, and sensitivity to light, noise, and smells,” according to the National Institute of Health. Patients in the study were sectioned off into two groups; one group received GLP-1 medications to treat the condition, while the other was given topiramate. Topiramate is an anticonvulsant commonly prescribed to those suffering from epilepsy.
The results determined that patients taking GLP-1 drugs were 10 percent less likely than those taking topiramate to visit the emergency room for migraine-related causes. Those taking GLP-1 supplements were also 14 percent less likely to be hospitalized for any reason. However, researchers are quick to note that the study only established a correlation between GLP-1 supplements and a lesser need for emergency care. However, patients who took GLP-1 drugs were less likely than the topiramate patients to start another preventative migraine medication.
Though Preliminary, Study Has Promising Implications for Treatment
“People with chronic migraine often end up in the emergency room or they need to try several preventive medications before finding one that can work for them,” explained lead study author Vitoria Acar, MD, of the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil. “Seeing these patterns of lower use of emergency care and lower use of drugs to stop migraines or trying additional drugs to prevent migraines among people taking GLP-1 drugs for other conditions suggests that these therapies may help stabilize the disease burden in ways that we haven’t fully appreciated yet.”
While experts stress that the study was just preliminary, the researchers are hopeful that this could open the door for migraine patients to seek relief with GLP-1 supplements. “Chronic migraine often overlaps with metabolic and inflammatory conditions such as obesity, insulin resistance, sleep apnea and depression, which can make treatment more difficult,” said Acar. “Early research is looking at whether GLP-1 drugs’ anti-inflammatory and neurovascular effects could play a role in migraine treatment, not just through weight loss.”