Kevin1708
Century Club
Weight-loss surgery 'may improve migraines'
Last updated 29 March 2011http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/interactive/news/theme_news_detail.php?id=800479352&tab_id=116
Severely obese patients who suffer from migraine headaches often find relief after undergoing weight-loss or 'bariatric' surgery, new research shows.
Scientists at the Miriam Hospital in Rhode Island, US, studied 24 patients, all of whom were severely obese and suffered from migraines.
More than half of the patients had a gastric band fitted, while the others underwent gastric bypass surgery.
The average participant's body mass index (BMI) dropped from 46.6 before surgery to 34.6 after six months.
Researchers found that participants' frequency of migraines typically decreased from 11.1 headache days before surgery to just 6.7 days after surgery.
Nearly half of all patients reported at least a 50 per cent reduction in the frequency of their headaches, and the severity of these headaches also fell.
Commenting on the findings, which are published in the journal Neurology, lead author Dr Dale Bond said: 'Obesity is thought to contribute to worsening of migraine, particularly for severely obese individuals.
'It's interesting to note that headache improvements occurred postoperatively even though 70 per cent of participants were still considered obese six months after surgery.'
Figures from the NHS Information Centre show that 22 per cent of adult men and 24 per cent of adult women in England were classified as obese in 2009.
End of article.
Last updated 29 March 2011http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/interactive/news/theme_news_detail.php?id=800479352&tab_id=116
Severely obese patients who suffer from migraine headaches often find relief after undergoing weight-loss or 'bariatric' surgery, new research shows.
Scientists at the Miriam Hospital in Rhode Island, US, studied 24 patients, all of whom were severely obese and suffered from migraines.
More than half of the patients had a gastric band fitted, while the others underwent gastric bypass surgery.
The average participant's body mass index (BMI) dropped from 46.6 before surgery to 34.6 after six months.
Researchers found that participants' frequency of migraines typically decreased from 11.1 headache days before surgery to just 6.7 days after surgery.
Nearly half of all patients reported at least a 50 per cent reduction in the frequency of their headaches, and the severity of these headaches also fell.
Commenting on the findings, which are published in the journal Neurology, lead author Dr Dale Bond said: 'Obesity is thought to contribute to worsening of migraine, particularly for severely obese individuals.
'It's interesting to note that headache improvements occurred postoperatively even though 70 per cent of participants were still considered obese six months after surgery.'
Figures from the NHS Information Centre show that 22 per cent of adult men and 24 per cent of adult women in England were classified as obese in 2009.
End of article.
