Research Article: Tracking migraine outcomes over time by age and monoclonal antibody type: a retrospective, single-center, real-world study
Abstract:
Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are established preventive treatments for episodic and chronic migraine, but comparative longitudinal data across agents and age groups remain limited. This study aimed to evaluate long-term responses to different CGRP mAbs, assess whether age or treatment type influences response trajectories, and characterize multidimensional patterns of clinical response.
We conducted a retrospective, single-center observational study including 453 adults with episodic or chronic migraine treated with erenumab, galcanezumab, fremanezumab, or eptinezumab between November 2018 and April 2026. Patients were stratified by age (<50 vs.???50?years) and different CGRP mAbs treatment. Longitudinal mixed-effects models assessed changes in monthly migraine days, acute medication use, pain intensity, disability, quality of life, and mood over 12?months. Generalized linear mixed models evaluated predictors of ?50% response. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to identify multidomain response patterns.
All CGRP mAbs produced rapid and sustained improvements across migraine frequency, disability, and patient-reported outcomes over 12?months. Age did not significantly influence baseline severity, longitudinal trajectories, or responder status. Treatment differences were modest overall; however, at 12?months, fremanezumab and eptinezumab were associated with higher odds of response compared with erenumab, while galcanezumab showed consistently higher response odds independent of time. PCA identified a General improvement component capturing multidomain benefit, which was more pronounced in the eptinezumab group.
In real-world clinical practice, CGRP mAbs demonstrate comparable and durable effectiveness across age groups. Subtle long-term differences between agents may emerge, particularly for multidimensional clinical improvement, supporting individualized treatment selection.
Introduction:
Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are established preventive treatments for episodic and chronic migraine, but comparative longitudinal data across agents and age groups remain limited. This study aimed to evaluate long-term responses to different CGRP mAbs, assess whether age or treatment type influences response trajectories, and characterize multidimensional patterns of clinical response.
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