Migraine Attacks Can be Prevented with High Blood Pressure Drug Candesartan

A latest study says that a drug originally used to treat high blood pressure can be used to prevent severe migraine attacks.

In a collaborative effort, researchers from St. Olavs Hospital in Trondheim, Norway and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) have found that the drug Candesartan is as effective in combating migraines as the commonly prescribed drug propranolol for the malady. Researchers say that the drug Candesartan may be prescribed for those who get no relief from propranolol.

 Originally used to treat high blood pressure, candesartan is marketed under the name Atacand, while propranolol is marketed under the name Inderal. Though, the side effects of the drug may vary from one migraine patient to the other.

"This gives doctors more possibilities and we can help more people," Professor Lars Jacob Stovner, leader of Norwegian National Headache Centre, who also led the study, said in a statement.

This finding is a follow up of a ten-year study from NTNU. Though the drug Candesartan is used by several doctors to treat migraine, this study proves the effectiveness of the drug in treating migraine.

This was confirmed based on triple a blind test where the doctors, patients and even the researchers were unaware whether the patient was given a placebo or the real drug. The study had 72 participants, who suffered migraine attacks atleast twice every month. The patients were given placebo, 16 mg of candesartan or 160 mg of propranolol for 12 weeks each and were given a break of 4 weeks without the medicines before the start of the drug and in between too.

The researchers noted that more than 20 percent of those suffering with migraine attacks felt better even when they were given a placebo. But the blind test revealed that the candesartan works preventively for more 20-30 percent migraine patients. The study confirmed that 16 mg of candesartan was as effective as 160 mg of propranolol in treating migraine attacks.

The finding is reported in Cephalalgia.