Talk about a surprise perk.
Numerous additional benefits of GLP-1 weight loss drugs like Ozempic continue to be discovered, from improving cardiovascular health to potentially preventing dementia and lowering the risk of depression.
Now, one more benefit could be added to the list, thanks to new research that found the blockbuster drugs could be a better treatment for one common ailment.
There are headaches, and then there’s the kind of pain that more than 1 million people deal with worldwide — migraines.
But a preliminary study has found an unexpected solution in glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists for chronic migraines that could lead to fewer emergency room visits.
The weight loss medications may even have better outcomes than Topamax (also known as topiramate), a common prescription medication for migraines and seizures.
The findings, which will be presented at the 2026 American Academy of Neurology’s Annual Meeting in April, looked at two groups of about 11,000 people each who had a chronic migraine diagnosis based on medical records.
One group started GLP-1 drugs for another condition, like type 2 diabetes, while the other started topiramate.
Researchers found that people who started GLP-1 drugs were 10% less likely than those on topiramate to visit the ER over the course of a year.
Those taking the weight loss drugs were also 14% less likely to be hospitalized for any reason.
Those on the weight loss drugs were also less likely to start a new preventative migraine medication within the year.
The researchers note, however, that the study was merely observational and only shows an association between the GLP-1s and less need for emergency care.
“Chronic migraine often overlaps with metabolic and inflammatory conditions such as obesity, insulin resistance, sleep apnea and depression, which can make treatment more difficult,” study author Vitoria Acar, of the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil, said in a press release.
While the findings are preliminary, the researchers think GLP-1s could help migraine patients in unexpected ways.
“Early research is looking at whether GLP-1 drugs’ anti-inflammatory and neurovascular effects could play a role in migraine treatment, not just through weight loss,” Acar added.
Although the groups were matched at the start of the study for age, body mass index, other health conditions and prior migraine treatments, the researchers were unable to measure factors that did change over the year, such as weight loss, migraine severity, use of medications and lifestyle changes.
Further studies are needed to fully determine the effects of weight loss medications on migraine prevention and treatment.
