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Bariatric Surgery Promising in Migraine Control: a Controlled Trial on Weight Loss and Its Effect on Migraine Headache

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Abstract

Introduction

There is evidence that substantial weight loss through bariatric surgery (BS) may result in short-term improvement of migraine severity. However, it still remains to be seen whether smaller amounts of weight loss have a similar effect on migraine headache. This study has been designed to compare the effects of weight reduction through BS and non-surgical modifications.

Materials and Methods

Migraine characteristics were assessed at 1 month before (T0), 1 month (T1), and 6 months (T2) after BS (vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG) (n = 25) or behavioral therapy (BT) (n = 26) in obese women (aged 18–60 years) with migraine headache. Migraine was diagnosed using the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHDIIβ) criteria.

Results

There was significant reduction in the visual analog scale (VAS) from the baseline to T1 and T2 in both groups. The number of migraine-free days showed a significant increase within each group (p < 0.001). The BS group had a significant reduction in attack duration (p < 0.001) while there were no changes observed within the BT group. Following the adjustment of ANCOVA models for baseline values of migraine characteristics, age, changes in weight, BMI, body fat, and fat-free mass from T0 to T2, the BS group showed statistically significant lower VAS and duration of migraine attacks and a significantly higher number of migraine-free days than the BT group at T1 and T2 (p ≤ 0.028).

Conclusion

Our results indicated that far before significant weight reduction after BS (VSG), there was marked alleviation in the severity and duration of migraine and a significant increase in the number of migraine-free days in obese female migraineurs. However, the effects in the BT group were not comparable with the effects in the BS group.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the participants of the present study and the staff of the obesity clinic, Sina Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, for their kind cooperation.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Nutrition and Food Technology, National Nutrition and Food Technology Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Soodeh Razeghi Jahromi & Solmaz Sadre-Jahani

  2. Sports Medicine Research Center, Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Maryam Abolhasani & Zahra Alizadeh

  3. Headache Department, Iranian Center of Neurological Research, Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Zeinab Ghorbani

  4. School of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Zeinab Ghorbani

  5. Surgery Department, Laparoscopic Surgical Ward, Sina Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Mohammad Talebpour

  6. Community and Preventive Medicine Department, Medical Faculty, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Alipasha Meysamie

  7. Headache Department, Iranian Center of Neurological Research, Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medial Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Mansoureh Togha

Authors
  1. Soodeh Razeghi Jahromi
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  2. Maryam Abolhasani
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  3. Zeinab Ghorbani
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  4. Solmaz Sadre-Jahani
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  5. Zahra Alizadeh
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  6. Mohammad Talebpour
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  7. Alipasha Meysamie
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  8. Mansoureh Togha
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mansoureh Togha.

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Ethical Approval

Study procedures were approved by the obesity group of the Endocrine and Metabolism Research Center, Sina University Hospital, and Iranian Center of Neurological Research, Tehran University of Medical Science (reference number = IR.TUMS.REC.1395.2511). All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed Consent

Written informed consent was obtained from all participants in this study.

Conflict of Interest

Soodeh Razeghi Jahromi declares that she has no conflict of interest, Maryam Abolhasani declares that she has no conflict of interest. Zeinab Ghorbani declares that she has no conflict of interest. Solmaz Sadre-Jahani declares that she has no conflict of interest. Zahra Alizadeh declares that she has no conflict of interest. Mohammad Talebpour declares that he has no conflict of interest. Alipasha Meysamie declares that he has no conflict of interest. Mansoureh Togha declares that she has no conflict of interest.

Funding

This study was supported by a grant from the Iranian Center of Neurological Research, Tehran University of Medical Sciences.

Grant Information

This study was supported by a grant (number 94-01-54-28634) from the Iranian Center of Neurological Research, Tehran University of Medical Sciences.

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Razeghi Jahromi, S., Abolhasani, M., Ghorbani, Z. et al. Bariatric Surgery Promising in Migraine Control: a Controlled Trial on Weight Loss and Its Effect on Migraine Headache. OBES SURG 28, 87–96 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-017-2793-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-017-2793-4

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