Weight Loss in IIH

It has been well known that IIH is associated with obesity. Weight gain is considered a risk factor for disease onset and recurrences. Weight loss has been well documented in several case series to be associated with improvement in symptoms and signs and to be associated with lowering of intracranial pressure. While the mechanism of how weight loss achieves these beneficial effects is unclear, it remains a cornerstone of treatment. Patients benefit from a program of nutritional and IIH education, motivation, behavioural modification and an exercise/mobility program. Using these techniques, the Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension Treatment Trial has been successful in achieving weight loss in most enrolled subjects.