Open AccessBody mass index, migraine, migraine frequency and migraine features in women
Author(s) -
Winter AC,
Berger K,
Buring JE,
Kurth T
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
cephalalgia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.57
H-Index - 125
eISSN - 1468-2982
pISSN - 0333-1024
DOI - 10.1111/j.1468-2982.2008.01716.x
Subject(s) - migraine , medicine , phonophobia , body mass index , photophobia , odds ratio , aura , migraine with aura , surgery
We evaluated the association of body mass index (BMI) with migraine and migraine specifics in a cross‐sectional study of 63 467 women aged ≥ 45 years, of whom 12 613 (19.9%) reported any history of migraine and 9195 had active migraine. Compared with women without migraine and a BMI < 23 kg/m 2 , women with a BMI ≥ 35 kg/m 2 had adjusted odds ratios (ORs) (95% confidence intervals) of 1.03 (0.95, 1.12) for any history of migraine. Findings were similar for active migraineurs. Women with a BMI of ≥ 35 kg/m 2 had increased risk for low and high migraine frequency, with the highest estimate for women who reported daily migraine. Compared with women with the lowest associated risk (migraine frequency < 6 times/year; BMI between 27.0 and 29.9 kg/m 2 ), women with a BMI ≥ 35 kg/m 2 had an OR of daily migraine of 3.11 (1.12, 8.67). Among the women with active migraine, a BMI ≥ 35 kg/m 2 was associated with increased risk of phonophobia and photophobia and decreased risk of a unilateral pain characteristic and migraine aura. Our data confirm previous findings that the association between BMI with migraine is limited to migraine frequency and specific migraine features.