Comparison of the Severity, Duration and Frequency of Headaches Between Migraine Patients With and Without Metabolic Syndrome



Saadatnia M¹ ; Javanmard SH² ; Amini L³ ; Salmasi M³ Show Affiliations
Source: Journal of Isfahan Medical School Published:2012

Abstract

Background: Insulin resistance has a basic role in the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome, which is directly correlated with obesity and other cardiovascular risk factors. Recent studies show that insulin resistance is more prevalent in patients with migraine. Further supportive to the association, the risk of cardiovascular diseases in migraineurs has been reported to be higher than the normal population. The present study aimed to compare the severity, duration, and frequency of headaches in migraine patients with and without metabolic syndrome. Methods: 200 patients with migraine were selected for this study. Migraine was diagnosed according to the International Headache Society criteria. The enrolled patients were divided into two groups, with and without metabolic syndrome, diagnosed based on the Adult Treatment Panel III criteria. The severity, duration, and frequency of migraine headaches were compared between the two groups at baseline, and 30, and 60 days afterwards. Findings: 34 patients (17%) had metabolic syndrome. They were older (P < 0.001) and mostly female. The duration of migraine headaches was also longer than the other group (P = 0.03). The difference of the mean frequency (9.1 versus 10.1 per month, P = 0.54) and severity (7.6 versus 7.3, P = 0.31) of headaches did not reach a statistically significant level between groups. Conclusion: Our study showed that metabolic syndrome is present in 17 % of patients with migraine. Metabolic syndrome was correlated with patient's age and the duration of their headache. 30 and 60 days after the first visit, the severity, frequency, and duration of headaches were decreased significantly but not differently in both groups.