If you are severely obese and looking for motivation, you have more reason than ever to shed those extra pounds. A new study suggests that weight loss surgery may also reduce the frequency and severity of migraines.
The study, published in the March 29 edition of the journal Neurology, examined 24 severely obese patients with a history of migraine. The average patient was female, middle-aged and severely obese, with an average body mass index of 46.6. Normal body mass index is between 18.5 and 24.9, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Six months after undergoing a gastric bypass or gastric banding procedure, almost half of these participants saw a 50% or greater reduction in the frequency of their headaches. And the more weight patients lost, the greater the benefits.
Prior to surgery, about 50% of patients reported that their migraines were moderately or severely disabling, meaning head pain prevented them from performing normal daily behaviors, such as work, social activities and household chores. Six months after surgery, that number was down to 12.5%.
Although there have been prior studies linking obesity to migraine, this is the first to examine whether dramatic weight loss and bariatric surgery have a palliative effect on migraine pain.
Researchers are still unsure of why obesity aggravates migraine pain, but they speculate it may have something to do with higher levels of inflammation in the body, the study found. Changes in diet, activity and mood may help remove triggers and alleviate migraine pain.
Because the sample size of the study was so small, further research is needed to confirm the results and determine whether more moderate, non-surgical weight loss has the same effect.
