Evidence Supports Use of High-Dose Aspirin for Migraine

FRIDAY, Dec. 13, 2019 -- Evidence supports the use of high-dose aspirin for treating acute migraine and low-dose aspirin for prevention of recurrent attacks, according to a review recently published in the American Journal of Medicine.

Bianca Biglione, from the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, and colleagues reviewed the evidence to examine the use of aspirin for treatment of acute migraine and prevention of recurrent attacks.

The researchers found that based on the totality of evidence, including data from randomized trials, high-dose aspirin (doses from 900 to 1,300 mg) taken at symptom onset is effective and safe for acute migraine headaches. Based on the totality of evidence, including some randomized trials, low-dose daily aspirin (doses from 81 to 325 mg) may be effective and safe for preventing recurrent migraine headaches.

"Migraine headaches are among the most common and potentially debilitating disorders encountered by primary health care providers," Biglione said in a statement. "In fact, about one in 10 primary care patients present with headache and three out of four are migraines. Aspirin is readily available without a prescription, is inexpensive, and based on our review, was shown to be effective in many migraine patients when compared with alternative more expensive therapies."

Two authors disclosed financial ties to the pharmaceutical and medical technology industries.

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Posted: December 2019