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The correlation between vitamin B12 serum levels and migraine: a case-control study
Seham Elsaid Abdelsadek1, Sara Ahmed Tahoun2, Fathy Mahmoud Mansour3
1Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine for Girls, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt.
Neurological Research
|February 4, 2025
Summary
Low vitamin B12 serum levels are linked to migraine, with chronic migraine patients showing significantly lower levels. This deficiency is also associated with increased migraine severity.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Migraine is a common primary headache disorder with unclear causes.
- Understanding factors contributing to migraine is crucial for effective management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between serum vitamin B12 levels and migraine.
- To compare vitamin B12 levels in episodic and chronic migraineurs.
- To explore the relationship between vitamin B12 and migraine severity.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study involving 90 migraineurs (48 episodic, 42 chronic) and 90 healthy controls.
- Serum vitamin B12 levels were measured using ELISA.
- Associations with migraine disability (MIDAS) and attack severity (VAS) were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Migraineurs had significantly lower serum vitamin B12 than controls (243.97 vs. 302.69 pg/ml).
- Chronic migraine patients exhibited lower vitamin B12 than episodic migraineurs (202.7 vs. 269.17 pg/ml).
- A negative correlation was observed between vitamin B12 levels and migraine attack severity (VAS).
Conclusions:
- Vitamin B12 deficiency is strongly associated with migraine.
- Lower vitamin B12 levels correlate with increased migraine severity.
- Further research is needed to explore a potential causal link.
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