The relationship between triglyceride levels and medication overuse headache in patients with chronic migraine

TL;DR

This study finds that high triglyceride levels may be linked to medication overuse headaches in people with chronic migraines.

Contribution

The study identifies elevated triglycerides as a potential risk factor for medication overuse headache in chronic migraine patients.

Findings

Elevated triglyceride levels were associated with increased odds of medication overuse headache.

Five risk variables, including triglyceride levels, were identified through analysis.

The association remained significant after adjusting for demographics and comorbidities.

Abstract

Background: Emerging evidence suggests that disturbances in lipid
metabolism play a significant role in the etiology of migraines. However, the
relationship between lipid metabolism disturbances and medication overuse
headache (MOH) remains uncertain. This study aims to evaluate the association
between elevated triglyceride (TG) levels and the occurrence of MOH among
patients with chronic migraine (CM). Methods: A total of 267
hospitalized individuals diagnosed with CM were enrolled into the study. The
participants were divided into two distinct groups based on the presence or
absence of MOH. Questionnaires were employed for gathering demographic data, and
a systematic inquiry was conducted to ascertain the overall prevalence of
headaches. The laboratory examination, anxiety and depression scale, Pittsburgh
sleep quality index, and other components were used to evaluate improvement.
Initially, the study data underwent univariate analysis, whereby indicators
demonstrating statistical significance (p < 0.05) were chosen as
independent variables. Subsequently, a binary logistic regression analysis was
conducted. Results: The cohort included a total of 87 patients without
MOH and 180 patients with MOH. The following five risk variables emerged via
single-factor analysis (p < 0.05): headache duration (years), headache
frequency (days/months), headache intensity measured by a visual analogue scale
(0–10), diabetes history, and TG levels. Elevated TG was associated with greater
odds (OR = 1.498 (1.018, 2.259), p = 0.037) of MOH after accounting for
demographics, headache features, and cardiometabolic comorbidities (including
diabetes and hypertension). Conclusions: Elevated TG levels may be
associated with MOH in patients with CM, underscoring their importance in the
diagnostic evaluation and therapeutic management of patients with CM.

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