Migraine risk increased in obese people: Study

Washington, February 14: According to a latest study, obese people within the age group of 20 to 55 might be at a larger risk of getting migraines than the ones with smaller or regular waistlines.

The risk of migraine also varied amongst the two sexes with women having a more probability of acquiring this neural abnormality.

The study found that 37 percent of women in this age group, who had excess abdominal fat, were reported to have migraine as compared to 29 percent of those who were not obese.

Men, however, have been reported to be at a lesser risk as only 20 percent of obese men in this age group reported frequent headaches as opposed 16 percent of non-obese men.

Migraine is a neurological disorder characterized by repeated headaches and nausea. According to the National Headache Foundation, headaches affect about 30 million people in the United States, almost 10 percent of the population.

The current study was based on the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted by the U.S. government and the data was collected from over 22,000 people.

The survey included measurements of both abdominal obesity, measured by waist circumference, and overall obesity, as determined by body mass index.

The study author Dr. B. Lee Peterlin, of Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia said, “These results, while still in the early stages, suggest that losing weight in the stomach area may be beneficial for younger people who experience migraine, and especially so for women.”

Although we already know that exercise and activity help improve mood and headaches, but we still need to scientifically prove that losing weight will help in migraine, she added.

Quite interestingly, the study has also found that after age 55, there was no significant risk of migraines for the obese people.

The researchers are not sure what could account for this protective effect of abdominal obesity in later years, but it could be a type of survival bias, Dr. Peterlin said.

Obesity is one of the major causes of several diseases and has already been associated with the increase in risk of diabetes, heart ailments, high blood pressure, and other chronic diseases.

The study will be presented during the American Academy of Neurology's annual meeting in Seattle, Apr. 25 to May 2.