Weight loss injections may help prevent migraines in women, according to new research presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Istanbul. The study, based on Danish health registry data, found that women who started taking semaglutide-based jabs such as Wegovy or Ozempic needed triptan drugs—the first-line treatment for migraines—8% less often. The effect was most pronounced in women aged 18 to 35, who reduced triptan use by 18%.
Scientists analysed data on all 150,000 people in Denmark who began taking Wegovy or Ozempic between 2022 and 2024. No significant reduction in migraine medication use was observed in men. Researchers suspect the injections, which mimic the hormone GLP-1, may reduce migraines due to their anti-inflammatory properties and possible direct effects on the central nervous system that influence migraine pathways.
Around ten million Britons suffer from debilitating migraines, with women more affected. Approximately two million rely on triptans. Symptoms can include severe throbbing pain, nausea, vomiting, tiredness, and extreme sensitivity to light, sounds, and smells, with attacks lasting for days. The study was sponsored by Novo Nordisk, the maker of semaglutide, which is prescribed on the NHS for weight loss (Wegovy) and Type 2 diabetes (Ozempic). Seven out of ten participants were women, with an average age of 50.
Study author Noémie Roland, assistant professor at the University of Southern Denmark, said: “The study suggests that initiation of semaglutide is associated with a gradual reduction in triptan use during the first year after initiation among women. We need confirmation in randomised clinical studies to confirm whether semaglutide has a direct anti-migraine effect beyond the weight loss.” She added that there could be a potential direct effect on the central nervous system and inflammation in migraine pathways.
Rob Music, chief executive at the Migraine Trust, commented: “Migraine is two to three times more common in women than men and can be linked to hormonal fluctuations. Like many conditions that disproportionately affect women, migraine is often overlooked and not taken as seriously as it should be. While the initial findings of this new study suggest the potential for GLP-1s to alleviate migraine symptoms in women, we recognise the need for further research in this area.”
