Migraines and weight

February 3, 2009

Both overweight and underweight people are more likely to have migraine headaches, according to a recent study published in journal Cephalalgia. Being overweight has been shown to increase the risk of chronic migraines in a previous large study, but the discovery of the link between being too thin and migraines is new. These findings do not mean that regaining normal weight will lead to improvement in headaches, but only that there is an association. This is not to say that we do not encourage our overweight patients to lose weight. The best way to achieve this is not only by dieting, but also by engaging in frequent aerobic exercise, which has been found to be associated with fewer migraine headaches.

Written by
Alexander Mauskop, MD
Continue reading
March 26, 2026
Alternative Therapies
Lidocaine-Based Treatments Offer Another Option for Severe Migraines
This post explains how lidocaine, beyond its traditional use as a local anesthetic, can be given by IV or directly into the middle meningeal artery to help break severe, treatment-resistant migraines, with early studies showing promising relief and generally mild, manageable side effects.
Read article
February 16, 2026
News
Potential big news for the 40 million Americans with migraine.
It is long overue to make triptans available without a prescription, like in the rest of the world.
Read article