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The beneficial effect of Alpha-lipoic acid supplementation as a potential adjunct treatment in episodic migraines.
Kelishadi, MR, Naeini, AA, Khorvash, F, Askari, G, Heidari, Z
Scientific reports. 2022;12(1):271
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Migraine and headaches can be a seriously debilitating disorder for those who suffer from them. The exact cause is still unknown; however, it is thought that inflammation in the body and the blood vessels which serve the brain may be part of the problem. Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) is a nutrient that is found in foods such as broccoli and organ meats and it is also produced within the body. It has been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects and therefore may be of benefit to those individuals who have headaches and migraines. This 12-week randomised control study of 92 individuals with migraine aimed to determine the effects of ALA supplementation on measures of inflammation in the blood vessels and symptoms. The results showed that oxygen passage to the brain was improved, which resulted in an improvement to migraine severity and frequency. It was concluded that ALA supplementation could be considered a possible migraine treatment in conjunction with regular pain medications for migraine symptoms. This study could be used by healthcare professionals to recommend the consumption of ALA as part of migraine management.
Abstract
The current study was performed to evaluate the effects of alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) supplementation on lactate, nitric oxide (NO), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) levels, and clinical symptoms in women with episodic migraines. Considering the inclusion and exclusion criteria, ninety-two women with episodic migraines participated in this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-design trial. The participants were randomly assigned to receive either 300 mg/day ALA or placebo, twice per day for 12 weeks. The primary outcomes included headache severity, headache frequency per month, and duration of attacks and the secondary outcomes included lactate (a marker of mitochondrial function), NO, and VCAM-1 serum levels were measured at baseline and the end of the intervention. At the end of the study, there was a significant decrease in lactate serum levels (- 6.45 ± 0.82 mg/dl vs - 2.27 ± 1.17 mg/dl; P = 0.039) and VCAM-1 (- 2.02 ± 0.30 ng/ml vs - 1.21 ± 0.36 ng/ml; P = 0.025) in the ALA as compared to the placebo group. In addition, the severity (P < 0.001), frequency (P = 0.001), headache impact test (HIT-6) (P < 0.001), headache dairy results (HDR) (P = 0.003), and migraine headache index score (MHIS) (P < 0.001) had significantly decreased in the intervention as compared to the control group. No significant changes were observed for NO levels and duration of migraine pains. ALA supplementation can be considered a potential adjunct treatment in patients with migraine due to its improving mitochondrial and endothelial functions and clinical symptoms.
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The omega-3 and Nano-curcumin effects on vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM) in episodic migraine patients: a randomized clinical trial.
Abdolahi, M, Karimi, E, Sarraf, P, Tafakhori, A, Siri, G, Salehinia, F, Sedighiyan, M, Asanjarani, B, Badeli, M, Abdollahi, H, et al
BMC research notes. 2021;14(1):283
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The exact causes of migraine are still unknown, yet it is thought that inflammation in the brain and the blood vessels may be part of the problem. Medications which are commonly prescribed work to reduce this inflammation, yet they may come with serious side effects. Curcumin which is a compound found in turmeric spice, and omega-3 have been also shown to have a natural anti-inflammatory effect with minimal side effects and may therefore be of benefit to migraines. This randomised control trial of 285 individuals with migraine aimed to determine the effect of supplementing omega-3 and curcumin alone and in combination on measures of inflammation in individuals with migraine. The results showed that combining curcumin and omega-3 was of benefit to measures of inflammation in individuals with migraine. There were no serious side effects following the combination treatment. It was concluded that the reason for migraine relief following the supplementation of curcumin and omega-3 may be due to its anti-inflammatory effects in the blood vessels. This study could be used by healthcare professionals to recommend the use of omega-3 and curcumin in individuals who suffer from migraine and who have suffered serious side effects with standard drug treatments.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The purpose of this clinical trial was to examine the effect of omega-3 fatty acids (W-3 FAs), nanocurcumin and their combination on serum levels and gene expression of VCAM in patients with episodic migraine. RESULTS In this study, 80 patients were randomly divided in to 4 groups to receive for 2 months. Both serum levels and gene expression of VCAM showed remarkable decreases after single W-3 and after combined W-3 and nanocurcumin interventions. However, a borderline significant change and no remarkable change were observed after single nanocurcumin supplementation and in control group, respectively. While a significant difference between study groups in VCAM concentrations existed, there was no meaningful difference in VCAM gene expression among groups. It appears that the W-3 and combined W-3 and nanocurcumin can relieve VCAM serum level and its gene expression in patients with episodic migraine. Moreover, the combination of W-3 with nanocurcumin might cause more significant declines in VCAM level in the serum of migraine patients than when W-3 is administered alone. TRIAL REGISTRATION This study was registered in Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT) with ID number: NCT02532023.
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The effects of vitamin D supplementation on interictal serum levels of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in episodic migraine patients: post hoc analysis of a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial.
Ghorbani, Z, Rafiee, P, Fotouhi, A, Haghighi, S, Rasekh Magham, R, Ahmadi, ZS, Djalali, M, Zareei, M, Razeghi Jahromi, S, Shahemi, S, et al
The journal of headache and pain. 2020;21(1):22
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The exact causes of migraine are still unknown, but it has been shown that chemical messengers in the brain are released during migraines, which causes the blood vessels to increase in size resulting in inflammation. Vitamin D has been shown in previous trials to be of benefit to individuals with migraines, yet it is not fully understood how it does this. Therefore, this 16-week randomised control trial aimed to determine the effect of vitamin D supplementation on one of the chemical messengers thought to cause inflammation in the brain and on disability associated with migraine episodes. The results showed that vitamin D supplementation improved disability associated with migraine and that this may have been due to an improvement in one of the chemical messengers in the brain that is associated with inflammation. It was concluded that vitamin D supplementation may improve migraines, but further studies are warranted. This study could be used by healthcare professionals to understand how vitamin D may be of benefit to those who suffer from migraines.
Abstract
BACKGROUND Emerging evidence showed promising effects of vitamin D on headaches characteristics. Thus, it seems there is still a need for more researches to clarify the mechanisms by which this vitamin exerts anti-migraine effects. METHODS The present study was conducted as a 16-week randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial on 80 episodic migraine patients allocated in 2 parallel groups each consisted of 40 patients who received vitamin D 2000 IU/d or placebo. At baseline and after the intervention completion, headache diaries and migraine disability assessment questionnaire (MIDAS) were used to assess migraine related variables in patients. Also, interictal serum concentration of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) (as the dominant mediator of migraine pain pathogenesis) was evaluated using ELISA method. RESULTS The mean (SD) of age in the vitamin D and placebo groups was 37 (8) and 38 (12) years, respectively. ANCOVA test adjusted for baseline values, and confounders showed vitamin D supplementation resulted in a significant improvement in MIDAS score after 12 weeks in the intervention group (21.49 (16.22-26.77)) compared to placebo (31.16 (25.51-36.82) P value: 0.016). Moreover, after controlling for baseline levels, and other variables using ANCOVA, CGRP level was appeared to be significantly lower following vitamin D supplementation (153.26 (133.03-173.49) ng/L) than the patients in the placebo arm (188.35 (167.15-209.54) ng/L) (P value = 0.022). CONCLUSION According to the current findings, vitamin D supplementation in episodic migraineurs, particularly in those with migraine with aura, may potentially improve migraine headache characteristics and disability probably through attenuating CGRP levels. Therefore, these results could provide a new insight into anti-nociceptive effects of vitamin D; however, more studies are required to confirm our findings. TRIAL REGISTRATION The trial is registered in the Iranian registry of clinical trials (IRCT) at 11 July 2018, with IRCT code: IRCT20151128025267N6.