Over the next few years, several hundred migraine patients will help researchers to find out whether cholesterol medicine works against migraines. Norwegian headache research, NorHead, needs 750 people for its project. – Anyone who has migraines, and at least four migraine attacks per month, and is aged between 18 and 64, can sign up to join. Doctor and doctoral fellow at NTNU Joakim Høgsteggen Østhus, who leads the project, has great faith in this. Photo: NTNU / NTNU So says doctor and doctoral fellow at NTNU Joakim Høgsteggen Østhus, who leads the project. Those who want to participate contact NorHead directly and do not need a referral from a doctor, says Østhus. This is the study One study tests the effect of atorvastatin against episodic migraine. The second study tests the effect of atorvastatin against chronic migraine. They are looking for 450 participants for one study and 300 for the other. The participants are between 18 and 64 years old. Pregnant and breastfeeding women cannot participate. The study lasts 21 weeks for each participant. There are several reasons why the researchers believe the medicines work. There are several small international studies that show that the medicine has an effect. – But a larger randomized, controlled study is needed in which participants from different study centers are included, as we are doing in the two studies. Those who participate in the project are examined by a neurologist 3 times during the study. Photo: NTNU/NorHead / NTNU/NorHead Many new medicines are expensive and patients go through a long trial run before they get access to them. Now researchers at NorHead will investigate whether the cholesterol medicine atorvastatin has the same benefit, says Østhus. The association Hopepine Norway strongly believes that the medicine can prevent migraine attacks, says general secretary Laila Mathiesen Photo: Lisbeth Felida Aabjornsrod / Headache Norway – This could mean that migraine patients get a medicine that they can use preventively against migraines. There are already some medicines. But not everything is for everyone. So that means that even more people can get help. Migraines very widespread Around 800,000 Norwegians have migraines, figures from NorHead show. Worldwide, the World Health Organization estimates that 15 percent of the world’s population suffers from this. – Untreated migraine attacks are very disabling. You get so sick that you can’t do anything but lie still in bed. Any movement that increases the heart rate sends waves of pain through the head. And waves of nausea through the body. And the light hurts the eyes. It simply doesn’t work. She hopes the medicine can act as a preventative so that migraine patients avoid this type of attack. Lasts for three years All participants must keep a headache diary every day on their smartphone. Then, during a period of 12 weeks, they must take a medicine given to them by the researchers once a day. This is either a real medicine or a placebo. They are followed up by doctors and nurses. 5 Norwegian hospitals are involved in the study. These hospitals are with the University Hospital of Northern Norway St. Olavs hospital Haukeland University Hospital Oslo University Hospital Akershus University Hospital The aim is to include a total of 750 participants from all over the country until the studies end, according to the plan in 2027 The patients must use cholesterol-lowering drugs. They contain the active ingredient atorvastatin. It is these active ingredients that prevent the migraine from starting, the researchers believe. That’s why they think cholesterol works against migraines. Several small studies (five RCTs from Iran) have shown a good preventive effect of various statins. 3 studies tested atorvastatin, one tested simvastatin and one tested rosuvastatin. A group of Norwegian researchers who examined data from the prescription register showed last year that simvastatin had as good an effect and retention rate as e.g. CGRP inhibitors. Several migraine patients have contacted us directly and said that their migraines have improved significantly after starting atorvastatin for other indications. Source: NorHead/NTNU Østhus says the medicine has few side effects, and that they will be an alternative for those who, for various reasons, cannot use the expensive migraine medicines on the market. – Being able to choose between different drugs with different mechanisms of action can be crucial in finding the right migraine treatment for the individual. Having one more drug in the toolbox will be of great use. This is migraine Migraine is a neurological disease characterized by headache, nausea and vomiting. The disease affects many at an age when they are working, in education and have a busy family life, and is a significant cause of sickness absence and reduced work capacity. Facilitating access to good treatment for more people will be a very beneficial investment for society. It is assumed that almost 30% of migraine sufferers should be offered preventive treatment, but research shows that only 13% use this Source: NorHead/NTNU He also says that it will mean a lot to many migraine patients in parts of the world where there is no such good economy. This means that they get access to good treatment that they are not offered today. – I hope that the study will contribute to finding a good and affordable treatment alternative for people with migraine. Published 21.10.2024, at 17.37
ttn-69
Norwegian researchers believe cheap medicine has a great preventive effect on migraines – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
