According to a study conducted on obese mice, a prescribed category of migraine drugs named Triptans is considered to be helpful in treating obesity.In the study, a daily dose of Triptans led animals to eat less food and lose weight over the course of a month.
"We've shown that there is real potential to repurpose these drugs, which are already known to be safe, for appetite suppression and weight loss," said study leader Chen Liu, PhD, Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine and Neuroscience and an investigator in the Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute.
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Obesity affects more than 41% of all adults in the U.S. and increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and certain types of cancer. Most treatments for obesity focus on eating habits and physical activity.
Scientists have long known that serotonin, a chemical messenger found throughout the brain and body, plays a key role in appetite. However, there are 15 different serotonin receptors -- molecules that sense serotonin and signal for cells to change their behaviour in response. Researchers have struggled to understand the role of each serotonin receptor in appetite, and previous drugs -- including fen-phen and lorcaserin (Belviq) -- that targeted certain individual receptors have been withdrawn from the market due to side effects.