B compilex vitamins effective for prophylaxis of episodic migraines in women
Iran: The use of vitamins B1, B6, B12, and B9, and a combination of these vitamins could be an effective adjuvant treatment and prophylaxis of episodic migraine in women, a recent study has claimed. However, for confirmation of these results, large trials with long-term follow-ups will be needed.
The study findings were presented at the 2022 American Headache Society (AHS) Annual Scientific Meeting, held from June 9-12, in Denver, Colorado, and virtually, and subsequently published in the Current Journal of Neurology.
The B vitamins can be useful for migraine prevention. The study was designed by Shiva Nematgorgani, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, and colleagues to examine the effects of supplementation with thiamine (B1), pyridoxine (B6), cobalamin (B12), folic acid (B9), and a combination of these vitamins on women with episodic migraine (EM).
The researchers conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, clinical trial on 120 women with episodic migraine. The participants were divided into 6 groups; B1 (n = 20), B6 (n = 20), B12 (n = 20), B9 (n = 20), vitamin B complex (n = 20), and placebo (n = 20).
The participants received 1 capsule daily for 12 weeks. Paper-based headache diaries were used as part of the baseline and post-intervention phases to record the number of abortive drugs consumed and the frequency of headache attacks. To assess migraine disability, the Migraine Disability Assessment Questionnaire (MIDAS) was used.
The study led to the following findings:
- A 16-week study on women with EM revealed that the mean changes in the frequency of headache attacks decreased significantly in all vitamin groups in comparison with the placebo group.
- In contrast to the placebo, there was also a significant improvement in the migraine disability score in each vitamin group.
- The 12-week supplementation with vitamins B9, B1, B6, B12, and B complex also brought on a significant decrease in the use of abortive drugs compared to the placebo group.
The researchers conclude, "the findings of the study showed that B1, B6, B12, and B9, and a combination of these vitamins could be effective as an adjuvant in treatment and prophylaxis of EM." "To confirm these results, further large trials with long-term follow-ups will be needed."
Reference:
Nematgorgani S, Jahromi R, Jafari E, et al. Effects of B vitamins supplementation on migraine characteristics and disability in women with episodic migraine: a randomized double-blind controlled trial. Presented at: AHS 2022 Annual Scientific Meeting; June 9-12, 2022; Denver, Colorado. Poster 161.
