Folate stops migraine

Queensland researchers say they have produced ‘compelling evidence’ that folate supplements can reduce the frequency and severity of migraine attacks. A pilot study in 52 patients with long-standing migraine with aura found that daily supplements of folic acid (2mg), vitamin B6 (25mg) and vitamin B12 (400ug) resulted in a marked two-fold reduction in migraine disability compared to placebo. The randomised double blind trial, conducted by researchers at Griffith University on the Gold Coast, also found that the vitamin and folate treated migraineurs also reported substantial decreases in headache severity and pain severity. Writing in the journal Pharmacogenetics and Genomics (19:422-28), the researchers from the school’s Genomics Research Centre say say the findings support the hypothesis that increased levels of homocysteine cause endothelial dysfunction and that if this occurs in the cerebral blood vessels it may trigger migraine episodes. The benefits of lowering homocysteine may more pronounced in subgroups of patients who have a folate-sensitive genotype known as MTHFRC677T. Patients who are slow to metabolise homocysteine might need higher vitamin doses to benefit, they say. “Our data suggest a larger clinical trial is warranted to establish whether vitamin supplementation including folic acid is a safe, inexpensive and effective preventive treatment for [migraineurs],” they conclude....