Red cell distribution width in migraine

Several studies support the role of inflammation in the pathogenesis of migraine. Red cell distribution width (RDW), a measure of heterogeneity in the size of circulating erythrocytes, is associated with adverse outcomes in patients with heart failure and stroke. This study was undertaken to assess the interrelationship between RDW and migraine.

Hundred migraine patients (52 with aura) and age- and sex-matched 100 control subjects were enrolled in the study. Migraine diagnosis was settled according to the International Classification of Headache Disorders-II diagnostic criteria, and each subject was evaluated in terms of headache characteristics including severity, frequency, duration of the migraine attack, and the duration of the disease. Routine hematological analysis was applied for both of the groups.

RDW was found to be significantly higher in patients with migraine than controls (P < 0.001). RDW was independently associated with migraine in multivariate model (P < 0.001). A cutoff value of 13.2 for RDW with a sensitivity of 0.69 (0.59-0.78) and a specificity of 0.61 (0.51-0.71) was obtained in the ROC analyses (κ = 0.300, P < 0.001). Clinical features, laboratory parameters, and headache characteristics did not significantly differ between the migraine patients with and without aura (P > 0.05). However, RDW was detected to positively correlate with attack duration in migraineurs (P < 0.05).

Elevated RDW is associated with migraine requiring further efforts to clarify the actual underlying pathophysiology.