HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Data Supplement All Versions of this Article: 01.wnl.0000197218.05284.82v1 66/4/545    most recent Correspondence: Submit a response Correspondence: View responses Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when Correspondence are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Bigal, M. E. Articles by Lipton, R. B. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Bigal, M. E. Articles by Lipton, R. B. Related Collections Migraine All epidemiology Risk factors in epidemiology

Obesity and migraine

A population study

From the Departments of Neurology (M.E.B., R.B.L.), Epidemiology and Population Health (R.B.L.), Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and Montefiore Headache Unit (M.E.B., R.B.L.), Bronx, NY, Caremark Inc. (J.N.L.), Hunt-Valley, MD, and New England Center for Headache (M.E.B.), Stamford, CT.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr Bigal, Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1165 Morris Park Ave., Bronx, NY; e-mail: mbigal{at}aecom.yu.edu

Objective: To assess the influence of body mass index (BMI) on the prevalence, attack frequency, and clinical features of migraine.

Methods: In a population-based telephone interview study, the authors gathered information on headache, height, and weight. The 30,215 participants were divided into five categories, based on BMI: 1, underweight (<18.5), normal weight (18.5 to 24.9), overweight (25 to 29.9), obese (30 to 24.9), and morbidly obese (35). Migraine prevalence and modeled headache features were assessed as a function of BMI, adjusting by covariates (age, sex, marital status, income, medical treatment, depression).

Results: Subjects were predominantly female (65% female) and in middle life (mean age 38.4). BMI group was not associated with the prevalence of migraine, but was associated with the frequency of headache attacks. In the normal weight group, 4.4% had 10 to 15 headache days per month, increasing to 5.8% of the overweight (odds ratio [OR] = 1.3), 13.6% of the obese (OR = 2.9), and 20.7% of the morbidly obese (OR = 5.7). The proportion of subjects with severe headache pain increased with BMI, doubling in the morbidly obese relative to the normally weighted (OR = 1.9). Similar significant associations were demonstrated with BMI category for disability, photophobia, and phonophobia.

Conclusion: Though migraine prevalence is not associated with body mass index, attack frequency, severity, and clinical features of migraine increase with body mass index group.

Additional material related to this article can be found on the Neurology Web site. Go to www.neurology.org and scroll down the Table of Contents for the February 28 issue to find the title link for this article.

This article was previously published in electronic format as an Expedited E-Pub on December 14, 2005, at www.neurology.org.

Disclosure: Ortho-McNeil Neurologics funded the analysis of this study. Drs. Bigal and Lipton have received honoraria from Ortho-McNeil Neurologics unrelated to this study.

Received July 14, 2005. Accepted in final form October 26, 2005.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. E. Bigal, T. Kurth, H. Hu, N. Santanello, and R. B. Lipton Migraine and cardiovascular disease: Possible mechanisms of interaction Neurology, May 26, 2009; 72(21): 1864 - 1871. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				Z. Samaan, A. Farmer, N. Craddock, L. Jones, A. Korszun, M. Owen, and P. McGuffin Migraine in recurrent depression: case-control study The British Journal of Psychiatry, April 1, 2009; 194(4): 350 - 354. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. E. Bigal and R. B. Lipton Clinical course in migraine: Conceptualizing migraine transformation Neurology, September 9, 2008; 71(11): 848 - 855. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. E. Bigal, S. Ashina, R. Burstein, M. L. Reed, D. Buse, D. Serrano, R. B. Lipton, and On behalf of the AMPP Group Prevalence and characteristics of allodynia in headache sufferers: A population study Neurology, April 22, 2008; 70(17): 1525 - 1533. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. E. Bigal, A. Tsang, E. Loder, D. Serrano, M. L. Reed, R. B. Lipton, and for the American Migraine Prevalence and Preventio Body Mass Index and Episodic Headaches: A Population-Based Study Arch Intern Med, October 8, 2007; 167(18): 1964 - 1970. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. E. Bigal, R. B. Lipton, P. R. Holland, and P. J. Goadsby Obesity, migraine, and chronic migraine: Possible mechanisms of interaction Neurology, May 22, 2007; 68(21): 1851 - 1861. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. Kurth, J. M. Gaziano, N. R. Cook, V. Bubes, G. Logroscino, H.-C. Diener, and J. E. Buring Migraine and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in Men Arch Intern Med, April 23, 2007; 167(8): 795 - 801. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. Tucker A Practical Approach to Headache Treatment Journal of Pharmacy Practice, April 1, 2007; 20(2): 123 - 136. [Abstract] [PDF]

				Y. Iwasaki, K. Ikeda, G. J. Gilbert, M. E. Bigal, and R. B. Lipton Obesity and migraine: A population study Neurology, January 16, 2007; 68(3): 241 - 241. [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. E. Bigal and R. B. Lipton Obesity is a risk factor for transformed migraine but not chronic tension-type headache. Neurology, July 25, 2006; 67(2): 252 - 257. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				Minerva BMJ, March 11, 2006; 332(7541): 616 - 616. [Full Text] [PDF]

Correspondence: