Behavioral weight loss intervention for migraine: a randomized controlled trial

Migraine is a neurological disease characterized by a moderate-to-severe headache. The literature reported that obesity is a modifiable risk factor for migraine and weight loss has favorable effects on many of the putative mechanisms underlying the migraine-obesity link. Therefore in this report, the author tested the efficacy of behavioral weight loss (BWL) on migraine and revealed that adding BWL to standard pharmacological and nonpharmacological migraine treatment approaches yields more significant benefits.

The study aimed to validate whether behavioral weight loss (BWL) approach reduces headache among females with comorbid migraine and obesity or overweight.  

The study is a randomized, single-blind analysis involved females of age 18 to 50 years and 4 to 20 migraine days per month with BMI of 25.0-49.9 kg/m2 to 16 weeks of BWL. Eating behaviours and exercise were targeted for weight loss and migraine education control that provided didactic instruction on migraine and associated treatments. A 4-week smartphone headache diary was completed by the patients at baseline, posttreatment (16-20 wk), and at follow-up (32-36 wk). Post-treatment change in migraine days per month was considered as the primary outcome of the analysis which measured using linear mixed effects models.

A total of 85 and 80 out of 110 subjects completed the post-treatment and follow-up. However, more significant weight loss was seen in BWL group than ME group at both the post-treatment and follow-up. No significant difference in migraine days per month at post-treatment or follow-up between the groups.

Contradictory to hypotheses, ME and BWL produced similar, sustained depletions in migraine headaches. Further analysis is needed to evaluate whether including BWL to standard nonpharmacological and pharmacological migraine management approaches provides substantial benefits.