Allergic Diseases Linked to Increased Risk for Migraine

TOPLINE:

Allergic diseases such as atopic dermatitis, asthma, allergic rhinitis, and allergic conjunctivitis are associated with a significantly increased risk for migraine, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis.

METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers searched databases to identify observational studies that examined the association between allergic diseases and migraine.
• They focused on 10 cohort and case-control studies with more than 14.9 million participants in Asia, Europe, and North America.

TAKEAWAY:

• A significant association was found between allergic diseases and the risk for migraine (odds ratio [OR], 1.52; 95% CI, 1.40-1.65).
• Among the allergic conditions analyzed, allergic rhinitis showed the strongest association with migraine (OR, 2.16; 95% CI, 1.43-3.24).
• Odds for migraine were increased to a lesser extent with atopic dermatitis (OR = 1.27), asthma (OR = 1.49), and allergic conjunctivitis (OR = 1.74).

IN PRACTICE:

“These findings offer clinicians updated evidence that highlights the increased risk of migraine in patients with allergic diseases,” the researchers wrote. The reason for the association is unclear, but inflammation might be one mechanism by allergic diseases contribute to migraine, they noted.

SOURCE:

Xuqing Huang, with the Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University in China was the corresponding author of the study, which was published online on April 4 in theInternational Archives of Allergy and Immunology.

LIMITATIONS:

The meta-analysis was limited by heterogeneity across studies, a lack of information about possible genetic confounders, and potential regional bias due to a predominance of studies conducted in Asia.

DISCLOSURES:

The authors reported having no conflicts of interest.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.