Diabetes and Migraine Incidence?

Conclusions from a recent cross-sectional study investigating the association between diabetes mellitus and migraine found no significant differences in the prevalence of migraine between age- and sex-matched diabetic and nondiabetic subjects, after adjusting for possible confounding variables. The authors write that “Diabetes may be relevant in migraine pathophysiology, considering that diabetic patients display changes in vascular reactivity and nerve conduction. However, the association between migraine and diabetes is controversial. An inverse relationship between diabetes and migraine has been reported in several studies, nevertheless, other studies have concluded that the prevalence of migraine has been shown to be similar or higher.” The findings were published last month in the journal Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity: Targets and Therapy.

The study used data from the European Health Interview Surveys for Spain covering subjects aged 40 or older who had self-reported their diabetic status. Subjects were matched with a nondiabetic control by year of survey, age, and sex. The researchers found that, while the prevalence of migraine was higher in patients with diabetes, the presence of diabetes itself was not associated with a greater risk of migraine. Other variables and comorbidities among diabetic patients, including respiratory disorders, neck pain, low back pain, mental disorders, and being female were all associated with suffering from migraine.

Read about the study findings.

The journal abstract may be read here.