Migraine Gene Discoveries

Research Article by Lyle Henry  

 More good news came this past week for migraineurs when the International Headache Genetics Consortium published its research paper on "Finding the Gene for Common Migraines" explaining that the underlining cause of common migraines can be traced to a gene.

Not only is this news important in the advancement of migraine research in general, but closer to home, it reaffirms the premise of our research at Tuliv that we had released five years ago.

Tuliv (then known as Christian Body Migraine Research Foundation) started researching migraines in late 2001 and by 2005 had concluded that a gene to be found within the DNA of the mitochondria of specialized cells is the genetic cause of migraines.

We went on to state that these cells play a role in the production of a chemical that invokes the migraine attack. The findings of our combined research became the basis for the development of the Tuliv Migraine Defense product for the prevention of migraines.

Genes, of course, point to inherited properties of the body. One may inherit blue eyes, for example, or hemophilia that impairs the body's ability to control blood clotting. We have found that genetic migraines are most often seen in a mother-child relationship. In fact, the first genes identified for the migraine condition were found for a type of migraines called "familial migraines."  

You may be wondering how this discovery will help you. When it comes to inherited conditions, those related to the make-up of the DNA, there are no solutions available today that would alter the DNA or modify the gene to eliminate the condition. However, by better understanding what is happening in the body or as we like to say, the true cause of migraines, science and medical care can take  new approaches in developing prevention solutions that more closely focus on the source of the problem rather than continuing to only seek ways to address the symptoms.

Our challenge to educate those involved with migraines as to the real cause of migraine continues in order to help develop more natural migraine prevention treatments. In some ways, this flies in the face of the notion that migraines are caused by a malfunction of the brain which has propelled such anti-seizer drugs as Topamax into the forefront of migraine therapy.

The bottom line is that this research is good for you. It may help provide the direction and guidance for future studies that someday may provide an actual cure or dominant solution to bring about a complete end to migraine suffering.

Let me know your thoughts and questions. 1-866-367-5953 or Lyle@Tuliv.com

 Lyle

More Proof Found that Tuliv’s Theorem on Migraines is Correct

August 29, 2010

In 2005, Tuliv Ltd (then known as Christian Body Migraine Research Foundation) released its finding on the cause of migraines which included the notion that a "migraine gene" located within the mitochondria of specific cells was the genetic connection to migraines and the actual cause of the pain was induced by inflammatory chemicals released within the trigeminal-vascular system.

Tuliv's very successful migraine prevention product, Tuliv Migraine Defense is based on that migraine theorem. See www.Tuliv.com for more information.

This past week, Aarno Palotie, head of the International Headache Genetics Consortium at Britain's Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute presented his finding that coincide with and add credibility to the research of Lyle Henry of Tuliv.

Genetic Link to Common Migraines Found

PARIS — Gene detectives on Sunday announced they had found the first inherited link to common types of migraine, a finding that boosts hopes for new drugs to curb this painful and costly disorder. Scientists from 40 medical centres pored over the genetic profiles of more than 50,000 people, comparing those who suffered badly from migraines with others who were otherwise healthy. What came up in the net was a tiny but telltale variant of DNA that boosts the risk of getting migraines by around fifth.

"This is the first time we have been able to peer into the genomes of many thousands of people and find genetic clues to understand common migraine," said Aarno Palotie, head of the International Headache Genetics Consortium at Britain's Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, which led the study. Previous research has found links for some extreme, but mercifully rare, forms of migraine, but this is the first to pinpoint an association for common types of the disease.

The tiny genetic variant, or allele, is called rs1835740. Lying on Chromosome 8 between two genes, PGCP and MTDH/AEG-1, it allows a messenger chemical called glutamate to accumulate in junctions between brain cells, and this unleashes the migraine, the scientists believe. If so, drug engineers have a tempting target in preventing glutamate buildup, they hope.

The paper, published online in the journal Nature Genetics, cited figures that migraine affects 17 percent of European women and eight percent of men. The UN's World Health Organisation (WHO) ranks migraine in the top 20 diseases in terms of "years lived with disability," a benchmark of handicap. A US estimate put migraine's economic cost on a par with diabetes.

The study first compared the genome of more than 3,000 migraine sufferers in Finland, Germany and the Netherlands against that of some 10,000 non-sufferers. These results were then compared in a second phase with the genomes of a second batch, comprising 3,000 migraine patients and more than 40,000 otherwise healthy people. The study found rs1835740 to be one of several connecting genetic cogs in regulating glutamate levels. The allele alters the MTDH/AEG-1 gene, which in turn affects a gene called EAA2. The EAAT2 gene controls a protein that is responsible for clearing glutamate from the brain synapses. This protein has previously been linked with epilepsy, schizophrenia and various mood and anxiety disorders. The authors say further work is needed to confirm the findings and see whether other genetic culprits abound.

Patients in the study were recruited mainly from specialist headache clinics, which means they are likely to represent only the more extreme end of those who suffer from common migraines, said Gisela Terwindt of Leiden University Medical Centre, the Netherlands. "In the future, we should look at associations across the general population, including also people who are less severely affected," she said.

Migraine is believed to occur when inflammatory chemicals are released around the nerves and blood vessels in the head, inducing pain that can be excruciating. It is sometimes accompanied by nausea and hyper-sensitivity to light and sound. Common migraines fall into two categories -- those with an "aura," or shimmering circle seen by the sufferer, and those without. Sufferers tend to be aged 35-45, although the frequency and duration of the attacks can very widely.

“Gut” Migraines

Liz Asks the Question:

I have heard that people with migraines often have "gut" problems.  Constipation with occasional diarrhea, hypochlorydia - difficulty digesting fats - -  Have you found this to be true?

-Liz 

Liz,

There can be any number of symptomatic events associated with migraines. These can be directly or indirectly associated with the actual occurrence of the migraine.

For example, a person may be constipated after a migraine attack, but it was the result of taking pain medications that cause constipation, rather than due to the migraine itself.

Pain by itself causes the body to react in various ways and quite often compromises the digestive system. Being in too much pain to eat is an obvious association.

There are other complicating factors to consider when looking at the idea of “gut” migraines, one of which is that of multiple symptoms from a single trigger. For example MSG, a well known trigger for migraines, also causes diarrhea for some people. A person who gets migraines may be subject to both conditions.

The nervous system can react quite differently to any given stimulus or situation, and during stress the body can produce up to forty times more cortisol (a stress hormone) than when the body is not under stress. Prolonged production of cortisol can disrupt the digestive system, irritating the large intestine and causing diarrhea, constipation, cramping, and bloating. Excessive production of digestive acids in the stomach may cause a painful burning.

Therefore, one of the triggers for migraines (excess cortisol) may also be the cause of the irritation of the digestive system.

I hope this helps answer your question.

Lyle

To learn more about migraine prevention, visit www.tuliv.com

You can send you migraine questions to Lyle@tuliv.com

Migraine Patterns: Changes Throughout Life

Research Article by Lyle Henry

 For many people, the onset of migraines begins around the time of puberty, and the frequency of occurrence adheres to a rather predictable pattern throughout a person's life. Others may not be affected by migraines until they are in their twenties; still others may not start having migraines until past the age of 40.

Women have additional conditions that can initiate the onset and progression of migraines, including menstrual cycles, taking birth control pills, post-pregnancy, and post-hysterectomy. Migraine patterns in both men and women can also be affected by adding hormones (HRT) to their bodies as the added hormones tend to change the natural balance and rhythms of life.

 The age of a person is one of the major factors affecting migraines. As mentioned earlier most migraines start at the age of puberty, become rather predictable between the ages of 20 to 35, and then sometime around the age of 40 (give or take a few years) worsen in intensity, duration, and frequency regardless of sex or earlier life patterns. As this progression continues, the pattern may transform into one of chronic daily migraines. Migraines generally subside once a person has reached full menopause or what many refer to as "having gone through menopause."

 Tuliv Migraine Research may have been one of the first to identify the relationship between the secretions from the pituitary gland and the occurrences of migraines in both episodic migraines and major pattern shifts. The pituitary gland controls the onset of puberty, monthly menstrual cycles, pregnancy, sexual functions, and eventually peri-menopause and menopause stages of life. The secretions from this gland control the production of certain types of hormones that cause a reaction that ultimately produces a chemical called CGRP that has been linked to the initiation a migraine attack.

 It was this discovery of the relationship between the pituitary gland and the production of CGRP that was the one of the premises for the migraine hypothesis that led to the development of the first migraine prevention formula that addresses the natural cause of migraines - Tuliv Migraine Defense.

 It is important to note here that there is no evidence of anything being wrong with the pituitary gland that would cause a migraine; rather, we are simply saying that there is a relationship between the secretions from the pituitary gland and the occurrence of migraines. By studying the role of the glands of the endocrine system in relationship to the occurrence of migraines, it appears that many of the mysteries of migraines can be solved.

 For more information, please see the Natural Cause of Migraines at www.Tuliv.com.

We welcome your questions and comments. You can contact Lyle Henry directly by email at Lyle@Tuliv.com. There is no cost or obligation for his services.

 

Migraine Patterns – Time of the Month

Research Article by Lyle Henry

This is part two of a series of articles on migraine patterns that will explore the occurrences of migraines based on the time of day, day of the month, and age of the person. In this second article we will address the time of the month.

That Time of the Month.

For many years migraine researchers have known there is a hormone connection to migraines in men, women, and children. The more precise cause of migraines may be seen as a change in specific neurochemicals that are released during phases of hormone production. It is easier to see the hormonal cause of migraines in women than in men because of the monthly menstrual cycle of women, even though the principle and hormones are exactly the same for men and women.

Menstrual cycles are actually controlled by the pituitary gland through the messenger hormones LH and FSH. If you have been reading my research, you may recall these are the hormones that are received by the cells that contain the migraine gene that gets involved in the production of a neurochemical that starts the migraine attack.

It is during the times when these hormones are at their highs and lows that most migraines occur. To say that estrogen or progesterone is the cause of a migraine is a misunderstanding of the effect of hormones on migraines. This misunderstanding has led to the over prescribing of additional hormones as a treatment for migraines, which seldom provides a stable solution and can lead to other problems in the body. We can readily see the adverse effect of hormones on migraine when we realize that birth control pills, which are hormones, generally cause more migraine headaches.

For more information, see the Natural Cause of Migraines at www.Tuliv.com.

Natural Cause - Natural Solution

Understanding how hormones are involved in migraines and their effect on migraine patterns provided the insight needed for the development of Tuliv Migraine Defense, the first and only migraine preventive that addresses the natural cause of migraines.

We welcome your questions and comments. You can contact Lyle Henry directly by email at Lyle@Tuliv.com or by calling 1-866-367-5953. There is no cost or obligation for his services.

New Science Shows the Hormone Relationship in Migraines

Research Article by Lyle Henry

For many years migraine researchers have known there is a hormone connection to migraines. We can safely say that most migraines occurring in men, women, and children are caused by the body's inability to properly manage the changes in hormone production.

The more precise cause of migraines may be seen as a change in specific neurochemicals that are released during phases of hormone production. These neurochemicals affect the trigeminal nerve vascular system and sets into motion a progression of events, the outcome of which is a painful migraine headache and associated aura, nausea and vomiting.

DNA The reason some people get migraines can be found in the DNA makeup as an inherited gene. This gene has been identified and labeled as MTHFR and is found in the mitochondria of specific cells. These cells are the hormone producing cells for estrogen and progesterone for both men and women (yes, men produce the same hormones as women).

These cells receive their "production" orders by way of other hormones known as "messenger" hormones that are produced and secreted by the pituitary gland. The way these cells know that the messenger hormones are for them is through specialized proteins that are on the outside of the cell membrane called hormone receptors.

Deep Secrets of Migraines

Migraines occur when various hormone levels of the body fluctuate and most often when the "messenger" hormones are secreted from the pituitary gland into the blood stream to be received by the aforementioned specific cells in the body that have the migraine gene. For a still unknown reason, there is an adverse reaction in these cells that causes the production of neurochemical identified as CGRP to occur.

How Do Hormones Cause Migraines?

Hormones don't in the true sense of cause and effect; however, when we use the analogy of an automobile we can start to understand the relationship. Gasoline, for example does not make the car go; rather, gasoline makes the engine run which rotates the transmission gears, which make the wheels turn. Hormones are like the gasoline in that they start a reaction which results in the wheels turning that ends with a migraine.

To say that estrogen or progesterone is the cause of a migraine is a misunderstanding of the effect of hormones on migraines. This misunderstanding has led to the prescribing additional hormones as a treatment for migraines. We can readily see the adverse effect of hormones on migraine when we realize that birth control pills, which are hormones, generally cause migraine headaches.

Migraines occur outside the brain in what is called the trigeminal nerve vascular system. Those who have had migraine headaches can easily draw the path of this system as it starts at the temples and runs forward to branch out behind the eyes and down the jaw line. This system is comprised of hair-like nerve fibers that are intertwined with tiny blood vessels.

The pain of a migraine headache occurs when these tiny blood vessels dilate and begin to swell and expand to the point where they are actually putting pressure on the nerve endings. We often feel throbbing pain as the blood fills these vessels and pinch on nerves.

It is the neurochemical CGRP that causes the blood vessels to dilate and expand. To make matters worse, when the nerve fibers become irritated, they react in a way that can cause an increase in the level of CGRP in a round-robin effect that increases the pain level and the duration of a migraine attack.

To learn more see Tuliv Migraine Research.

Migraine Prevention

Thank you for your invitation to write about Migraine Defense.

Migraine Defense has become an essential component of my daily migraine preventive regime. Without it, I would experience non-stop, chronic head pain and much more frequent and severe migraines. I know Migraine Defense is responsible for this huge improvement in my life because I stopped using it for a several weeks to see what would happen and my constant debilitating head pain returned along with my more severe migraine attacks.

With Migraine Defense I am able to participate in my life fully again. My daily pain is gone and my migraines are reduced to once or twice a month and are easily treated with triptan medication. I'm able to work a part-time job that I love. I can meet my social and family obligations without fear of having to cancel at the last minute. I can be there for my daughter when she needs me, rather than my depending on her while I lie in the dark in the grip of pain. Recently my husband and I started ballroom dance lessons, something I couldn't even imagine doing a year ago. We just participated in a public showcase and now plan to enter a dance competition.

For a life-long sufferer of migraine whose condition had gradually devolved into one of chronic pain, ranging from somewhat debilitating to soul destroying, this is a pretty heady stuff (sorry for the pun). Migraine Defense has proven itself to be life restoring for me.

Sincerely,

Melanie Symonds