They are already being used to prevent heart attacks and strokes see more...

Weight-loss drugs could help ease migraine pain and reduce asthma symptoms, new studies suggest. Experts said that people using the drugs had reported a reduction in asthma flare-ups and inhaler use. And another study has linked Wegovy to fewer prescriptions for migraine medication among women taking the drugs for weight loss.

The studies, presented to the European Congress On Obesity in Turkey, add to a body of evidence which suggest glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) drugs may have benefits beyond weight loss. In England, they are already being prescribed to help cut the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Now a new study has linked Wegovy to a reduction in prescriptions for a type of migraine medication. Experts examined Danish health registries between 2022 and 2024, including data on 150,000 people who started Wegovy. Of these, some 6,800 had a prescription for migraine medicine in the year before they started weight-loss treatment.

They found that among women with a history of migraine, use of Wegovy for weight management was linked to a 7% reduction in the use of triptan-class drugs for treatment in migraine one year after they started weight-loss treatment. The authors said that after women started Wegovy, the use of migraine medicines started to gradually decrease.

But the finding was only observed among women. The authors concluded: “The study suggests that initiation of semaglutide is associated with a gradual reduction in triptan use during the first year after initiation among women.”