Heart hole migraine sufferers: could blood thinners be the answer?

NCT ID NCT05546320

First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026

Summary

This completed Phase 2 trial tested whether blood thinners (rivaroxaban) or antiplatelet drugs (aspirin, clopidogrel) work better than standard migraine medication (metoprolol) for people with both migraine and a small heart hole called PFO. 1,000 participants took one of the four drugs daily for 12 weeks. The main goal was to see if the drugs cut migraine days or attacks by at least half.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance

Aspirin, metoprolol, clopidogrel, or rivaroxaban

What this could lead to

If it works, this could show that blood thinners or antiplatelet drugs are better than standard migraine meds for people with a PFO, offering a new treatment option.

What could go wrong

This is a completed Phase 2 trial, so results are still early. The drugs may not work better than existing migraine treatments, and blood thinners carry bleeding risks.

Disclaimer Read more

This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

migraine disorder patent foramen ovale

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Affiliated Zunhua People's Hospital of North China University of Science and Technology

    Zunhua, Hebei, China

  • Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University

    Beijing, Beijing Municipality, China

  • Central China Fuwai Hospital of Zhengzhou University

    Zhengzhou, Henan, China

  • Clinical Medical College and Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu University

    Chengdu, Sichuan, China

  • Dalian Municipal Central Hospital

    Dalian, Liaoning, China

  • Dalian University Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital

    Dalian, Liaoning, China

  • Daqing Longnan Hospital

    Daqing, Heilongjiang, China

  • First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University

    Taiyuan, Shanxi, China

  • Fuwai Cardiovascular Hospital of Yunnan Province

    Kunming, Yunnan, China

  • Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shenzhen Hospital

    Shenzhen, Guangdong, China

  • Gansu Provincial Hospital

    Lanzhou, Gansu, China

  • Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital

    Guangzhou, Guangdong, China

  • Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital

    Guiyang, Guizhou, China

  • Hebei General Hospital

    Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China

  • Jiangxi Provincial People's Hospital Affiliated to Nanchang University

    Nanchang, Jiangxi, China

  • Nanyang Central Hospital

    Nanyang, Henan, China

  • National Clinical Research Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences

    Beijing, Beijing Municipality, China

  • People's Hospital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region Affiliated to Ningxia Medical University

    Yinchuan, Ningxia, China

  • Qingdao Fuwai Cardiovascular Hospital

    Qingdao, Shandong, China

  • Shangqiu First People's Hospital

    Shangqiu, Henan, China

  • Suzhou Hospital of Anhui Medical University

    Suzhou, Anhui, China

  • The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University

    Hefei, Anhui, China

  • The First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College

    Chengdu, Sichuan, China

  • The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University

    Kunming, Yunnan, China

  • The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC

    Hefei, Anhui, China

  • The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi Medical University

    Nanning, Guangxi, China

  • The Fourth People's Hospital of Shenyang

    Shenyang, Liaoning, China

  • The Second Affiliated Hospital of Lanzhou University

    Lanzhou, Gansu, China

  • The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University

    Nanchang, Jiangxi, China

  • The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University

    Ürümqi, Xinjiang, China

  • The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University

    Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China

  • The Second Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University

    Jinan, Shandong, China

  • The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University

    Shenzhen, Guangdong, China

  • West China Hospital of Sichuan University

    Chengdu, Sichuan, China

  • Wuhan Asia Heart Hospital

    Wuhan, Hubei, China

  • Xiangyang Central Hospital

    Xiangyang, Hubei, China

  • Xingtai People's Hospital

    Xingtai, Hebei, China

  • Zhengzhou Central Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University

    Zhengzhou, Henan, China

  • Zibo Central Hospital Affiliated to Binzhou Medical College

    Zibo, Shandong, China