Migraine, obesity and body fat distribution - a population-based study

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Obesity is increasingly recognized as a factor associated with migraine prevalence and attack frequency.
• Previous studies have left unanswered questions regarding the specific roles of body fat distribution and headache subtypes.
• This study investigates the complex relationship between obesity and headache disorders in a large population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the association between total body obesity (TBO) and abdominal obesity (AO) with migraine and tension-type headache (TTH) prevalence.
• To explore the relationship between obesity metrics and headache attack frequency.
• To determine if age influences the association between obesity and headache disorders.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the third Nord-Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT3), a large population-based study.
• Included validated headache questionnaires and objective anthropometric measurements from 18,191 women and 14,985 men.
• Employed logistic regression to model the association between obesity and headache prevalence, adjusting for confounders.

Main Results:

• Both TBO and AO were significantly associated with a higher prevalence of migraine compared to headache-free controls (ORs 1.45 and 1.29, respectively).
• The association between obesity and migraine prevalence was particularly strong in individuals under 50 years of age (ORs 1.74 and 1.89).
• A dose-response relationship was observed between obesity categories and increased headache frequency in migraine sufferers; TBO showed an independent association with migraine prevalence and attack frequency.

Conclusions:

• Both TBO and AO are linked to increased migraine prevalence and attack frequency.
• This association is predominantly observed in individuals younger than 50 years.
• TBO may serve as a more relevant measure of obesity concerning migraine risk compared to AO.