Both osteoporosis and migraine are common conditions that can affect quality of life and can impose large social and economic burdens.
The study revealed that adult patients with osteoporosis had
a considerably greater risk of developing subsequent migraine compared to the
patients without osteoporosis.
Both osteoporosis and migraine are common conditions that can affect quality of life and can impose large social and economic burdens. The National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Conference Statement defines osteoporosis as a skeletal disorder characterized by diminished bone strength resulting in increased fracture risk. Bone strength is measured in terms of both bone mineral density (BMD) and bone quality. In elderly populations, osteoporosis affects approximately 30% women and 12% men. Migraine is a neurological disorder that manifests as a debilitating headache associated with altered sensory perception. The International Headache Society defines migraine as a headache that lasts for 4–72 h and has at least two of the following characteristics: pulsating quality, unilateral localization, moderate-to-severe pain intensity, and aggravation by movement. Previous studies have identified interacting relationships among migraine, various sleep disorders, depression, psoriasis, restless legs syndrome and cardiovascular disease. Migraine is associated with episodes of local sterile meningeal inflammation, hypersensitized pain pathways, and increased inflammatory cytokines that contribute to the pathogenesis of osteoporosis, such as interleukins (ILs) or tumor necrosis factor-α. Like osteoporosis and other inflammatory conditions, migraine is also apparently associated with systemic endothelial dysfunction.
Rationale behind research:
No recent studies have suggested a link between osteoporosis and migraine. Therefore, the current study was conducted to investigate the impact of osteoporosis on migraine risk.
Objective:
To use a population-based dataset to assess migraine risk in osteoporosis patients.
Study outcomes:
Time Points: Baseline and after index date
Note: The index date was defined as the date of the first clinical visit for osteoporosis.
Outcomes:
This is the first nationwide population-based study known till now which has explored the relationship between osteoporosis and subsequent migraine in an Asian population. During follow-up period, migraine developed in 2.73% (1110) patients with osteoporosis and in 1.85% (750) patients without osteoporosis. Patients with osteoporosis, particularly with high CCI score, female gender, hypertension, depression, asthma, allergic rhinitis, obesity, and tobacco use disorder, had a high migraine risk.
The exact mechanisms underlying the relationship between migraine and osteoporosis are likely to be elusive. However, several lines of evidence in the literature suggest that osteoporosis and migraine have a shared pathophysiology. Gallai et al. showed that individuals suffering from migraine headaches had lower plasma and saliva magnesium levels between the attacks compared to controls without migraine headaches. Both osteoporosis and migraine are associated with hypomagnesemia, which suggests an interplay between osteoporosis and migraine. Secondly, the relationship between migraine and osteoporosis might be explained at least partly by their common inflammatory mediators. Inflammatory cytokines associated with osteoporosis such as tumor necrosis factor-αand IL-6 are elevated at the onset of migraine attacks. Finally, C-reactive protein, which increases during systemic inflammation, is elevated in both osteoporosis and migraine. Thus, inflammatory state caused by osteoporosis may increase the frequency or severity of migraine headaches by exacerbating the inflammatory response.
Clinicians should be aware that osteoporosis is a potential risk factor for migraine. Further studies are recommended to confirm this association and to explore its mechanisms.
The result of present study suggests that the adult patients with osteoporosis had a significantly higher risk of developing subsequent migraine compared to controls without osteoporosis.
SpringerPlus20165:1378
Increased migraine risk in osteoporosis patients: a nationwide population-based study
Chieh-Hsin Wu et al.
Comments (0)