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Published on: June 2, 2014
Body mass index and episodic headaches: a population-based study.
Marcelo E Bigal1, Amy Tsang, Elizabeth Loder
1Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY 10461, USA. mbigal@aecom.yu.edu
Archives of Internal Medicine
|October 10, 2007
Summary
Obesity exacerbates migraine frequency and disability, but not other episodic headaches. Higher body mass index (BMI) correlates with more frequent and severe migraine episodes and increased disability in migraineurs.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Investigated the influence of body mass index (BMI) on headache characteristics.
- Examined frequency, severity, and treatment patterns for migraine, probable migraine (PM), and severe episodic tension-type headache (S-ETTH).
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the association between body mass index (BMI) and headache disorders.
- To assess if obesity is a risk factor for increased headache frequency, severity, or disability.
Main Methods:
- Mailed validated questionnaires to a representative sample of 120,000 US households.
- Categorized participants into five BMI groups: underweight, normal weight, overweight, obese, and morbidly obese.
- Adjusted analyses for demographic variables, illness duration, comorbidities, and medication use.
Main Results:
- Higher BMI (obese and morbidly obese) significantly correlated with very frequent migraines (10-14 days/month) compared to normal weight individuals.
- Obesity was associated with increased disability among migraineurs, but not those with PM or S-ETTH.
- No significant association was found between BMI and the frequency of very frequent PM or S-ETTH.
Conclusions:
- Obesity is an exacerbating factor for migraine frequency and disability.
- The findings suggest obesity does not significantly impact other episodic headache types like PM or S-ETTH.
- BMI should be considered in the management and understanding of migraine.
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