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Serum Magnesium Levels in Children With and Without Migraine: A Cross-Sectional Study
Rishab Bhurat1, Sarala Premkumar2, Ranjith Kumar Manokaran3
1Department of Pediatrics, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
Insights
Low serum magnesium levels are linked to migraine in adolescents. This finding suggests potential new treatment strategies for pediatric migraine headaches.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Clinical Biochemistry
Background:
- Migraine is a common neurological disorder in children.
- Serum magnesium levels have been investigated as a potential factor in migraine pathophysiology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between serum magnesium levels and migraine in children.
- To determine if magnesium deficiency is a risk factor for pediatric migraine.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study design.
- Inclusion of children aged 5-18 years diagnosed with migraine and age-/sex-matched controls.
- Diagnosis of migraine based on International Classification of Headache Disorders 3 (ICHD-3) criteria.
Main Results:
- Overall, serum magnesium levels were comparable between children with migraine and controls.
- A statistically significant finding revealed lower serum magnesium levels in the adolescent subgroup with migraine compared to controls.
- Median serum magnesium levels were 2.0 (IQR 1.9-2.1) mg/dL in adolescent migraineurs versus 2.2 (IQR 2.0-2.2) mg/dL in controls (P<0.045).
Conclusions:
- Low serum magnesium levels are significantly associated with migraine occurrence in adolescents.
- These findings suggest that magnesium deficiency may play a role in adolescent migraine.
- The results may have implications for the treatment and management of migraine in pediatric populations.
Objective:
To study the association between serum magnesium level and migraine in children.
Methods:
This cross-sectional study enrolled children aged 5-18 years diagnosed with migraine, and age- and sex-matched controls without a headache disorder. International Classification of Headache Disorders 3 (ICHD-3) was used for the diagnosis of migraine. The association between serum magnesium level and migraine headache was analyzed.
Results:
A total of 35 children with migraine were enrolled with 35 control subjects. The median (IQR) serum magnesium levels were comparable among children with migraine and controls [2.0 (2.0,2.1) vs 2.2 (1.9, 2.2) mg/dL; P=0.23], respectively. In adolescent sub-group, median (IQR) serum magnesium levels were significantly low among the children with migraine as compared to those without migraine [2.0 (1.9, 2.1) vs 2.2 (2.0, 2.2 mg/dL); P<0.045].
Conclusion:
We found a statistically significant association between low serum magnesium levels and the occurrence of migraine in adolescents, which may have treatment implications.
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