EAN

EAN 2025: Liraglutide may reduce migraine days in patients with obesity

July 2, 2025

A pilot prospective observational study explored the use of GLP-1 RAs, specifically liraglutide, in treating migraines among patients with obesity. Twenty-six adults with BMI ≥30 and no signs of idiopathic intracranial hypertension received 1.2 mg of liraglutide daily for 12 weeks. Primary outcome was a change in monthly headache days, with secondary outcomes including BMI, Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) scores, and adverse events.

Results showed a significant reduction in headache frequency—from 20.04 to 8.81 days per month (p < 0.001)—and a notable drop in MIDAS scores (62.58 to 27.23, p < 0.001). Although BMI slightly decreased, this change wasn’t statistically significant and didn’t correlate with headache improvement. Mild GI side effects occurred in 38% of participants but didn’t lead to treatment discontinuation.

Source:

Braca, S., et al. OPR-012: GLP-1R agonists for the treatment of migraine: A pilot prospective observational study. Presented at the 11th Congress of the European Academy of Neurology. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ene.70189#xd_co_f=YWNhYWM0MDYtMGU1Yy00ZTE0LThmMDktY2VlNDIzNmE2N2Qz~