Latest news with #EAN
News18
22-07-2025
- Health
- News18
Frequent Nightmares Linked To Faster Ageing, Premature Death: Study
Last Updated: Research by European Academy of Neurology links frequent nightmares to faster ageing and higher premature death risk, due to stress responses disrupting sleep and cellular ageing. If you're someone who gets regular nightmares, beware; it may be a sign of something more serious. They could be a sign of a deeper health challenge brewing inside your body. Research presented in June at the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) Congress 2025 has linked frequent nightmares to faster biological ageing and a higher risk of premature death. Researchers, the first to associate the two, believe regular experience of excess stress, anxiety and panic in sleep signals unusually faster ageing in an individual, who could be three times more prone to premature demise. 'Our sleeping brains cannot distinguish dreams from reality. That's why nightmares often wake us up sweating, gasping for breath, and with our hearts pounding – because our fight-or-flight response has been triggered. This stress reaction can be even more intense than anything we experience while awake," said Abidemi Otaiku, a neuroscientist at Imperial College London and the author of a forthcoming study revealed by the EAN press release. 'Nightmares lead to prolonged elevations of cortisol, a stress hormone closely linked to faster cellular ageing. For those who frequently experience nightmares, this cumulative stress may significantly impact the ageing process." 'Additionally, nightmares disrupt both sleep quality and duration, impairing the body's essential overnight cellular restoration and repair. The combined effects of chronic stress and disrupted sleep likely contribute to the accelerated ageing of our cells and bodies." Tracking the frequency of nightmares reported by parents and relatives among children and adults for the period of up to 19 years, researchers found that these have undergone accelerated biological ageing. The study also claimed that adults who suffered weekly nightmares were also more than three times as likely to die before the age of 70, with faster biological ageing increasing the early mortality risk by 40 per cent. Among participants tracked for the study, researchers found that the link between chronic nightmares and faster ageing was strong and consistent irrespective of their sex, age, mental health status and ethnicity. To measure the biological age of these individuals, researchers looked at people's telomeres, the protective end caps of chromosomes. The shorter the telomeres, the greater the biological age. The study suggests weekly nightmares reflect a deeper worry, but even less frequent nightmares that may arrive once a month could also be raising an alarm bell. view comments First Published: July 22, 2025, 13:16 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Daily Record
28-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Record
The diabetes drug that cuts migraines in half and could help millions worldwide
A diabetes medication that lowers brain fluid pressure has cut monthly migraine days by more than half, according to a new study Migraines can be, at best, an inconvenience and, at worst, totally debilitating. Your work rate and relationships can suffer when you're not feeling yourself. And when pills and painkillers don't touch the sides, it can be hard knowing where to turn. However, a common diabetes drug may be the next big thing for migraine relief, according to an interesting new study. In fact, the diabetes medication that lowers brain fluid pressure has cut monthly migraine days by more than half. The findings from the clinical study were presented at the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) Congress 2025. As part of the research, obese patients with chronic migraines who took liraglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist, experienced over 50 per cent fewer headache days and significantly improved daily functioning without meaningful weight loss. Researchers believe the drug's ability to lower brain fluid pressure is the key, potentially opening a completely new way to treat migraines. The effects were fast, sustained, and came with only mild side effects. "Most patients felt better within the first two weeks and reported quality of life improved significantly," said lead researcher Dr Simone Braca. "The benefit lasted for the full three-month observation period, even though weight loss was modest and statistically non-significant." Researchers at the Headache Centre of the University of Naples Federico II gave GLP-1 receptor agonist liraglutide to 26 adults with obesity and chronic migraine - which is when you have more than 15 headaches a month. Afterwards, patients reported having 11 fewer headaches per month, while their work, study, and sociability got significantly better. What's more, although the patients also lost a bit of weight - with their BMI dropping slightly from 34.01 to 33.65 - this was found to have had no link to how often they experienced headaches. This strengthened the study's belief that pressure modulation, not weight loss, is behind the improvement. "We think that... these drugs produce a decrease in the release of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), a key migraine-promoting peptide," Dr Braca explained. "That would pose intracranial pressure control as a brand-new, pharmacologically targetable pathway." Mild side effects, mainly nausea and constipation, occurred in 38 per cent of participants, but it did not force them to drop out of the 12-week study. Off the back of the study, a randomised, double-blind trial is now being planned by the same research team in Naples. "We also want to determine whether other GLP-1 drugs can deliver the same relief, possibly with even fewer gastrointestinal side effects," Dr Braca added. If confirmed, GLP-1-receptor agonists could offer a new treatment option for the estimated one in seven people worldwide who live with migraine, particularly those who do not respond to current preventives. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
Gulf Today
26-06-2025
- Health
- Gulf Today
Why nightmares could make you age faster and die sooner
Frequent nightmares are linked to premature ageing and increase the risk of an early death, according to a new study. Adults who report weekly nightmares are more than three times likely to die before the age of 70 compared to those who rarely or never experience them, researchers found. The study found nightmares to be a "stronger predictor of premature death" than smoking, obesity, poor diet, and low physical activity. The scientists warned the findings should be treated as a "public health concern", but said people can reduce nightmares by managing stress. The team, led by Dr Abidemi Otaiku of the UK Dementia Research Institute, and Imperial College London, analysed data from 2,429 children aged eight to 10 and 183,012 adults aged 26 to 86 over a period of 19 years. The research, presented at the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) Congress this month, found that nightmares disrupt both sleep quality and duration, which impairs the body's overnight cellular restoration and repair ability. The combined impacts of chronic stress and disrupted sleep are likely to contribute to the accelerated ageing of our cells and bodies. Dr Otaiku said, "Our sleeping brains cannot distinguish dreams from reality. That's why nightmares often wake us up sweating, gasping for breath, and with our hearts pounding - because our fight-or-flight response has been triggered. This stress reaction can be even more intense than anything we experience while awake." He said: "Nightmares lead to prolonged elevations of cortisol, a stress hormone closely linked to faster cellular ageing. For those who frequently experience nightmares, this cumulative stress may significantly impact the ageing process." He added: "Given how common and modifiable nightmares are, they should be taken far more seriously as a public health concern." Researchers found that children and adults who had frequent nightmares also exhibited faster ageing. This accounted for approximately 40 per cent of those who had a higher risk of early death. Dr Otaiku said this was the first study to show nightmares can predict faster biological ageing and earlier mortality, even after accounting for other health issues. Even monthly nightmares were linked to faster ageing and increased mortality compared to those who had no nightmares. and the links were consistent across all ages, sexes, ethnicities, and mental health statuses. "The good news is that nightmares can be prevented and treated," said Dr Otaiku. Simple measures, such as maintaining good sleep hygiene, managing stress, seeking treatment for anxiety or depression and not watching scary films can be effective in reducing nightmares, he said. The Independent
Gizmodo
23-06-2025
- Health
- Gizmodo
Frequent Nightmares Linked to Faster Aging and Premature Death
If you often have nightmares, you may need to worry a bit more about your health. New research presented today at the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) Congress 2025 links frequent nightmares to faster biological aging and an over three times higher risk of premature death, even when taking into account other medical conditions. The researchers claim to be the first to demonstrate this association, which could have significant implications for how seriously one should consider persistent nightmares. 'Our sleeping brains cannot distinguish dreams from reality,' Abidemi Otaiku, a neuroscientist at Imperial College London and presumably an author of a forthcoming study, explained in an EAN press release. 'That's why nightmares often wake us up sweating, gasping for breath, and with our hearts pounding – because our fight-or-flight response has been triggered. This stress reaction can be even more intense than anything we experience while awake.' Simply put, researchers tracked the nightmare frequency of adults and children (whose nightmares were reported by their parents) for time periods of up to 19 years. Their results demonstrate that both children and adults who often have nightmares experience accelerated biological aging. Adults who suffered from weekly nightmares were also more than three times as likely to die before the age of 70 as those who rarely or never had nightmares, with the faster biological aging accounting for around 40% of that increased early mortality risk. 'Nightmares lead to prolonged elevations of cortisol, a stress hormone closely linked to faster cellular ageing,' Otaiku added. 'For those who frequently experience nightmares, this cumulative stress may significantly impact the ageing process. Additionally, nightmares disrupt both sleep quality and duration, impairing the body's essential overnight cellular restoration and repair. The combined effects of chronic stress and disrupted sleep likely contribute to the accelerated ageing of our cells and bodies.' Specifically, the link between chronic nightmares and faster aging was consistent in participants of all sexes, ages, mental health statuses, and ethnicities. Biological aging was measured by looking at people's telomeres, the protective end caps of chromosomes. Shorter telomeres are widely considered to be a sign of greater biological age. Furthermore, the research revealed weekly nightmares to more strongly predict early death than other widely known causes, including obesity, smoking, a bad diet, and low physical activity. Even less frequent nightmares, however, had their toll. Participants who reported having them monthly also experienced faster aging and increased premature mortality compared to those who reported rare or no nightmares. As if living through terrifying experiences at night wasn't bad enough, the associated health consequences highlighted in the new research carry important implications for how seriously we should take nightmares. And if we're being honest, the state of plastic pollution and human-driven accelerated geological processes are probably not helping in that category, either.
Medical News Today
23-06-2025
- Health
- Medical News Today
GLP-1 drugs may help reduce chronic migraine days by about half, study finds
Monthly migraine frequency depends on a person's health and exposure to triggers. Currently, migraine is treated through medications and various lifestyle changes. A new study says that GLP-1 medications used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity may help cut a person's monthly migraine days by about half. Researchers estimate that more than 1 billion people globally live with migraine, a neurological condition causing severe, chronic headaches that are often accompanied by other issues such as nausea and light number of migraine headaches a person has each month varies depending on their situation and overall health. Those with chronic migraine can experience them for 15 or more days each month. Migraine headaches also range in severity and length of time, normally lasting anywhere between four to 72 hours. Currently, migraine is treated through medications and lifestyle changes to help stop migraine triggers from occurring, such as stress, poor sleep, certain foods, and environmental factors like strong smells, loud noises, or bright light. 'Despite new advancements, there is still an unmet need in migraine treatment, imposing a substantial burden on patients,' Simone Braca, MD, a neurology resident and clinical research fellow at the Headache Centre of the University of Naples in Italy, told Medical News Today. Braca is the lead author of a new study recently presented at the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) Congress 2025 that has found that glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist medications used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity may help cut a person's monthly migraine days by about half. The study was published in the journal on the GLP-1 agonist liraglutideFor this study, researchers recruited 31 study participants with both obesity and chronic migraine, who were given the GLP-1 medication liraglutide. Liraglutide is currently sold under two brand names: Victoza for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, and Saxenda for chronic weight management. 'In our country it was easier to have access to liraglutide, compared to other GLP-1 agonists,' Braca explained. 'In any case, we think that the observed effect reflects a mechanism of action inherent to targeting the GLP-1 receptor.'Braca said they decided to study the potential impact of GLP-1s on migraine based on previous work done by their research team, which suspected that a derangement in intracranial pressure control plays a role in the pathophysiology of migraine.'Since GLP-1R agonists are known to greatly modulate and reduce intracranial pressure, we therefore hypothesized that these drugs could be effective in migraine,' he said. 9 fewer migraine days per month with GLP-1At the study's conclusion, Braca and his team found that study participants taking liraglutide had an average of nine fewer migraine days each month. 'They saw their headache days per month drastically reduced, with consequent improvement in their quality of life,' Braca commented. Additionally, researchers also discovered that study participants experienced a drop in their Migraine Disability Assessment Test scores by 32 points. '(This) means that they saw their migraine-related burden drastically reduced, adding a nuanced view on their quality of life improvement beyond the raw number of headache days,' Braca said. 'If confirmed by subsequent larger, multicenter, randomized, and controlled studies, GLP-1 agonists may represent a novel class of drugs for migraine prevention,' he continued. 'Additionally, this would place intracranial pressure control as one of the mechanisms underlying migraine, a pharmacologically-targetable one.'Braca added that they plan to conduct a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled study as this was a pilot, exploratory that could potentially be life-changingMNT spoke with Hsinlin Thomas Cheng, MD, PhD, senior neurologist in the Department of Neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, about this study. 'The study helps to answer a common question: whether GLP-1 agonists can reduce the frequency of migraines,' Cheng said. 'The hypothesis is supported by the facts that there are GLP-1 receptors in the choroid plexus, the structure that produces cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and regulates intracranial pressure, and weight loss is an essential component of headache management. Using GLP-1 agonists may provide dual benefits in regulating CSF pressure and weight control, thereby reducing migraine frequency.' Luis Felipe Tornes, MD, neurologist and director of the epilepsy program at Miami Neuroscience Institute, part of Baptist Health South Florida, told MNT he was cautiously enthusiastic about this research's findings.'As a neurologist who treats people with chronic migraines, seeing a diabetes medication cut migraine days in half was exciting,' Tornes said. 'These patients were dealing with at least 15 headache days a month, and on average, they had 11 fewer days after taking the medication for just three months. That's life-changing for someone living with near-constant pain. And the effect didn't seem to be from weight loss — it may be helping by reducing intracranial pressure, which opens up a whole new way to think about treating migraines.'— Luis Felipe Tornes, MDMNT also spoke with Hao Huang, MD, a neurologist at Hackensack University Medical Center and assistant professor of Neurology at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine in New Jersey, about this research. He commented that while the reduction in headache days is impressive, the study is small and lacks direct measurement of intracranial pressure.'For next steps in the research of migraines, and in this particular case, the role of GLP-1-receptor agonists, it would be helpful to see a larger group of migraine patients in studies,' Huang said. 'It'll be interesting to see what this research team finds in their next study into whether other GLP-1 drugs can positively affect migraine sufferers without the physical discomfort experienced by the participants of the pilot study,' he added.
