Approximately 5 million Australians experience migraines, with women being three times as likely to suffer from them as men.
If untreated, the pain can be debilitating and can last from a few hours to three days.
While avoiding certain triggers such as alcohol and cheese can help in preventing migraine attacks, innovative medications are now available that might alleviate symptoms and mitigate the frequency of migraines.
However, some medications aren’t effective and plenty of Australians still suffer in silence.
A limited study conducted in Italy discovered that three months of treatment with Liraglutide, a drug similar to Ozempic and primarily used for type 2 diabetes, proved beneficial for migraine patients.
The mean number of migraine days suffered per month halved from 20 per cent to 11 per cent in patients.
“It’s a very encouraging study that shows there may be some potential here for a new treatment class,” director of operations at Migraine and Headache Australia Carl Cincinnato told 9News.
While obesity is a risk factor for migraines, weight loss doesn’t appear to be the reason why this medication worked.
Study investigators believe it could be from reducing pressure in the skull, however more research needs to done.
