Reduced efficacy of sumatriptan in migraine with aura vs without aura
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether acute migraine treatment outcome is different in migraine with aura compared with migraine without aura.
METHODS: We examined pooled outcome data for sumatriptan treatment of migraine with and without aura from the sumatriptan/naratriptan aggregate patient database. We also examined similar outcome data for inhaled dihydroergotamine (DHE) from a single, large randomized controlled study.
RESULTS: The pooled pain-free rates 2 hours postdose for sumatriptan 100 mg were significantly higher in patients treating attacks without aura (32%) compared with the group who treated attacks with aura (24%) (p < 0.001). The relative risk for pain freedom 2 hours postdose for attacks without aura was 1.33 (95% confidence interval: 1.16-1.54). The number needed to treat for 2 hours of pain freedom was 4.4 for attacks without aura and 6.2 for attacks with aura. For the clinical trial of DHE, the 2-hour pain-free rates did not differ between patients treating attacks without aura (29.4%) compared with those who treated attacks with aura (27.2%; p = 0.65). The relative risk for pain freedom 2 hours postdose for attacks without aura vs with aura was 1.08 (95% confidence interval: 0.77-1.53). The number needed to treat for 2 hours pain free was 5.8 for attacks without aura and 5.0 for attacks with aura.
CONCLUSION: This post hoc analysis of pooled data from multiple randomized trials indicates that sumatriptan is less effective as acute therapy for migraine…
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Evidence Hub reads this as a randomized trial, done in people. Its evidence level is 2 of 5 (High · randomized trial). Randomized trials of a reasonable size are the strongest single-study design.
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