A new study has found that almost all blood-pressure-lowering medications reduce the number of headaches migraine sufferers have each month. The researchers say that these medications may provide a treatment option that is less expensive and more accessible than available migraine medications.
Blood-pressure-lowering medications, known as antihypertensives, are sometimes prescribed as a preventative to reduce how often migraines occur and the length and severity of headaches.
Current prescribing guidelines recommend a couple of classes of blood pressure medications, beta-blockers and angiotensin II receptor blockers, for treating migraines.
A new study by researchers at The George Institute for Global Health in Sydney, Australia, has found that almost all classes of antihypertensives have some ability to reduce the frequency of headaches in migraine sufferers.
“For countries where new migraine medications are expensive, limited by prescribing criteria or not available at all – covering all countries to some extent – this study shows that common BP medicines, which GPs are comfortable prescribing, can be an important preventative measure for patients with migraine or severe headache episodes,” said Cheryl Carcel, lead author of the study.
The researchers plan to undertake a further review to provide more information about the particular antihypertensive drugs that work best to combat the headaches associated with migraine.