People who suffer from migraines are less likely to develop type 2 diabetes, a new study found.
Suffering from migraines could mean that you are less likely to develop type 2 diabetes, whereas suffering from diabetes might reduce your chances of experiencing migraines. These were the key findings presented by researchers at the Fall meeting of the American Chemical Society, held virtually this week.
Previous studies have shown the existence of an inverse relationship between the onset of migraines and diabetes and this new study sheds light on the inner workings behind this relationship.
According to the research, led by Dr Thanh Do, from the University of Tennessee, peptides that are known to cause migraine pain may be able to influence the production of insulin, at least in mice.
About the findings
At the heart of this new research is the interaction of three key peptides involved with migraine and diabetes. Two of these peptides, calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) are found in the nervous system and are known to cause the pain associated with migraines. A third peptide, called amylin, is found in the pancreas, alongside CGRP and PACAP, where they influence the release of insulin from beta cells, the body’s key insulin-making cells.
Both peptides are current targets for therapeutic approaches that aim to treat migraine pain or diabetes. But more research is needed to understand how these peptides function in the body and how they exert their influence in migraine pain and diabetes risk.
In this new study, researchers tested the hypothesis that the protective effect of migraines against diabetes is attributed to the elevated concentration of the CGRP and PACAP peptides. Using advanced mass spectrometry approaches, Dr Do and his team showed that the CGRP peptide changed the production pattern of amylin and affected the function of a gene called lns1, involved with insulin regulation.
According to a press release, Dr Do’s team also found “preliminary evidence that PACAP regulates insulin in a glucose-dependent manner and promotes beta cell proliferation.”
The findings may help inform further research to create new and more effective treatments for diabetes and migraines, but more research is still needed. “Despite these positive results, you can’t inject CGRP and PACAP into the body as therapeutic strategies for diabetes because these peptides cause migraine pain,” Dr Do said. “But once we understand how they exert their effects on insulin secretion, we can design peptide analogues that would control insulin but would not bind to the pain receptor,” he said.
However, Dr Do worries anti-CGRP and anti-PACAP treatments for migraines may lead to an increased risk of diabetes. Further research is needed to understand the apparent protective effect of CGRP and PACAP against diabetes and develop safe and effective therapies.