Will new Migraine Med fight Obesity and Diabetes?

The high expectations for CGRP-blocking migraine medications could turn into a craze before they even get to the market.  New research has raised the hope that this type of medication could fight obesity and diabetes, and help the patient to live longer in general.

Before you start looking to these new meds as the fountain of youth, there are a few things you should know about the study, published this May in the journal Cell.

First, this is a very early study, using mice, not humans.  And it all revolves around TRPV1 pain receptors.

When these pain receptors were destroyed, the mice actually did better as they aged.  In fact, they lived 14% longer than the other mice.  More insulin became available, and blood glucose lowered.

What would that mean for a human being?  Less chance of obesity of type 2 diabetes, because your body would easily be able to get rid of sugar.

What does this have to do with the new series of migraine drugs that researchers are working on?  Well, the calcitonin gene-related peptide neurotransmitter – CGRP – is blocked using the new medications.  CGRP is triggered by the TRPV1 pain receptor.  Meaning that the blocking of CGRP may be the real key.

Interestingly, this particular pain receptor is sometimes called the “capsaicin receptor”, because it’s activated by capsaicin, the active ingredient in hot peppers.  When the receptors are activated enough by capsaicin, they can stop working – and so pain messages are interrupted in the body.

Capsaicin has been a common treatment for headache and migraine in the past.  Could it be that they work the same way – by blocking CGRP in the body?  If so, we may have more evidence than ever that these medications will work.

Expect to hear more and more about these meds as they get closer to market.  The promotion machine will go into full gear.  But remember, they are unlikely to work for everyone.  Our hope is that they will help a few people that haven’t been able to find help so far, or those who have found help but are dealing with side effects.  And maybe instead of weight gain (a common side effect in many migraine medications) they can enjoy some weight loss.

Meanwhile – pass the peppers.

For more:

• TRPV1 Pain Receptors Regulate Longevity and Metabolism by Neuropeptide Signaling (study summary)
• Pain killers may improve health of diabetics and the obese (press release)
• Anti-migraine Medication May Treat Obesity, Diabetes (short article)