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The retinal microcirculation in migraine: The Rotterdam Study.
Ke-Xin Wen1, Unal Mutlu1,2, M Kamran Ikram1,3
11 Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Cephalalgia : an International Journal of Headache
|May 12, 2017
Summary
This study found no link between migraine and retinal microvascular damage or retinopathy in older adults. Migraine headaches do not appear to affect blood vessels in the eye.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Neurology
- Vascular Biology
Background:
- Migraine is a common neurological disorder.
- Microvascular pathology is implicated in various systemic diseases.
- The relationship between migraine and retinal microvascular changes remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between migraine and retinal microvascular damage.
- To examine if migraine is linked to retinopathy or altered retinal microvascular caliber.
Main Methods:
- A population-based study of 3270 participants (age ≥ 45 years) from the Rotterdam Study.
- Migraine diagnosis based on validated questionnaire and ICHD-II criteria.
- Retinal microvascular damage assessed via fundus photographs for retinopathy and caliber measurements.
Main Results:
- Migraine was not associated with the presence of retinopathy (OR: 1.09, 95% CI 0.62; 1.92).
- No significant differences in retinal arteriolar or venular caliber were found between individuals with and without migraine.
- Migraine subtypes, including migraine with aura, showed no association with retinal microvascular damage.
Conclusions:
- The study suggests no association between migraine and retinopathy.
- No evidence of altered retinal microvascular caliber in individuals with migraine was found.
- Further research is warranted to confirm these findings.
