Migraine in adults with diabetes; is there an association? Results of a population-based study

Associations of type 2 diabetes and the risk of migraine in Chinese populations

AIM

We aimed to explore the relationship between type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and the incidence rate of migraine in a Chinese population, and analyze the clinical characteristics of migraine patients with T2DM.

METHODS

Data on the study cohort of 9873 individuals were obtained from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). The incidence rate of migraine from 2015 to 2018 was assessed. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the relationship between T2DM and the incidence of migraine. In addition, a cross-sectional study including 168 migraine patients was conducted in Xiamen, China. Migraine patients were grouped according to their T2DM status. Multivariable linear regression models were used to estimate βs and their 95% CIs for the relationship between migraine characteristics and T2DM.

RESULTS

The cumulative incidence rate of migraine from 2015 to 2018 in the T2DM group and control group was 7.26% [6.04%.8.65%] and 8.91% [8.27%.9.58%], respectively. The risk of migraine in patients with T2DM was reduced by 21% (HR 0.79 [0.65;0.95]) compared to patients with no T2DM after adjustment for confounders. The cross-sectional study showed that the presence of T2DM significantly reduced migraine frequency and relieved migraine intensity.

CONCLUSION

This was the first study to validate that T2DM reduced the risk of migraine in a Chinese population cohort. Patients with migraine and T2DM may experience significant relief from their headache symptoms. Carrying out relevant mechanistic research may help to identify new targets for migraine treatment and contribute to further understanding the impact of T2DM or related metabolic disorders on an individual's health.

Linking Migraine to Gut Dysbiosis and Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases

In the world, migraine is one of the most common causes of disability in adults. To date, there is no a single cause for this disorder, but rather a set of physio-pathogenic triggers in combination with a genetic predisposition. Among the factors related to migraine onset, a crucial role seems to be played by gut dysbiosis. In fact, it has been demonstrated how the intestine is able to modulate the central nervous system activities, through the gut-brain axis, and how gut dysbiosis can influence neurological pathologies, including migraine attacks. In this context, in addition to conventional pharmacological treatments for migraine, attention has been paid to an adjuvant therapeutic strategy based on different nutritional approaches and lifestyle changes able to positively modulate the gut microbiota composition. In fact, the restoration of the balance between the different gut bacterial species, the reconstruction of the gut barrier integrity, and the control of the release of gut-derived inflammatory neuropeptides, obtained through specific nutritional patterns and lifestyle changes, represent a possible beneficial additive therapy for many migraine subtypes. Herein, this review explores the bi-directional correlation between migraine and the main chronic non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension, obesity, cancer, and chronic kidney diseases, whose link is represented by gut dysbiosis.

Time Trends and Sex Differences in the Association between Diabetes and Chronic Neck Pain, Chronic Low Back Pain, and Migraine. Analysis of Population-Based National Surveys in Spain (2014-2020)

(1) Background: To assess the time trend in the prevalence of chronic neck pain (CNP), chronic low back pain (CLBP), and migraine or frequent headache (MFH) among people with diabetes in Spain from 2014 to 2020, this study identified sex differences and compared the prevalence of these pain sites between people with diabetes and age−sex-matched non-diabetic subjects. (2) Methods: The study design included a cross-sectional and a case−control study. The data were obtained from the European Health Interview Surveys for Spain conducted in 2014 and 2020. The presence of diabetes, CNP, CLBP, and MFH was self-reported. Study covariates included sociodemographic characteristics, comorbidities, lifestyles, and pain-related variables. (3) Results: Among people with diabetes, the prevalence of CNP, CLBP, and MFH did not improve from 2014 to 2020. Women with diabetes had a significantly higher prevalence of all the pain sites analyzed than men with diabetes. After matching by sex and age, the prevalence of CNP (26.0% vs. 21.1%; p < 0.001), CLBP (31.2% vs. 25.0%; p < 0.001), and MFH (7.7% vs. 6.5%; p = 0.028) was higher for people with diabetes than for those without diabetes. Self-reported mental disease was independently associated with reporting the three pain sites analyzed in people with diabetes. (4) Conclusions: The prevalence of CNP, CLBP, and MFH has remained stable over time. Remarkable sex differences were found, with a higher prevalence among women than men with diabetes. Diabetes was associated with reporting in all the pain sites analyzed. Self-reported mental disease was associated with reporting CNP, CLBP, and MFH.

Glucose-Related Traits and Risk of Migraine—A Potential Mechanism and Treatment Consideration

Migraine and glucose-related (glycaemic) traits (fasting glucose, fasting insulin, and type 2 diabetes) are common and complex comorbid disorders that cause major economic and social burdens on patients and their families. Studies on the relationship between migraine and glucose-related traits have yielded inconsistent results. The purpose of this review is to synthesise and discuss the information from the available literature on the relationship between fasting glucose, fasting insulin, and type 2 diabetes (T2D) with migraine. Publications on migraine and fasting glucose, migraine and fasting insulin, and migraine and T2D were identified from a PubMed and Google Scholar database search and reviewed for this article. Multiple publications have suggested that the comorbidity of migraine and glucose-related traits may have a similar complex pathogenic mechanism, including impaired glucose homeostasis, insulin resistance, reduced cerebrovascular reactivity, abnormal brain metabolism, shared genetic factors, neurotransmitters, and sex hormones. Furthermore, several studies have found a bi-directional link between migraine with insulin resistance and T2D. There is strong evidence for a biological association between migraine headache and glucose-related traits, and burgeoning evidence for shared genetic influences. Therefore, genetic research into these comorbid traits has the potential to identify new biomarkers and therapeutic targets and provide biological insight into their relationships. We encourage healthcare professionals to consider the co-occurrence of migraine with glucose-related traits in the evaluation and treatment of their patients.

Headache as a Neurologic Manifestation of Systemic Disease

Purpose of Review

Recent Findings

Summary

Metabolic profile changes in serum of migraine patients detected using 1H-NMR spectroscopy

Background

Migraine is a common brain disorder but reliable diagnostic biomarkers in blood are still lacking. Our aim was to identify, using proton nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H-NMR) spectroscopy, metabolites in serum that are associated with lifetime and active migraine by comparing metabolic profiles of patients and controls.

Methods

Fasting serum samples from 313 migraine patients and 1512 controls from the Erasmus Rucphen Family (ERF) study were available for ¹H-NMR spectroscopy. Data was analysed using elastic net regression analysis.

Results

A total of 100 signals representing 49 different metabolites were detected in 289 cases (of which 150 active migraine patients) and 1360 controls. We were able to identify profiles consisting of 6 metabolites predictive for lifetime migraine status and 22 metabolites predictive for active migraine status. We estimated with subsequent regression models that after correction for age, sex, BMI and smoking, the association with the metabolite profile in active migraine remained. Several of the metabolites in this profile are involved in lipid, glucose and amino acid metabolism.

Conclusion

This study indicates that metabolic profiles, based on serum concentrations of several metabolites, including lipids, amino acids and metabolites of glucose metabolism, can distinguish active migraine patients from controls.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s10194-021-01357-w.

Metabolic Aspects of Migraine: Association With Obesity and Diabetes Mellitus

Migraine is a disabling neurovascular disorder, characterized by moderate to severe unilateral headaches, nausea, photophobia, and/or phonophobia, with a higher prevalence in women than in men, which can drastically affect the quality of life of migraine patients. In addition, this chronic disorder is related with metabolic comorbidities associated with the patient's lifestyle, including obesity and diabetes mellitus (DM). Beyond the personal and socioeconomic impact caused by migraine, obesity and DM, it has been suggested that these metabolic disorders seem to be related to migraine since: (i) they are a risk factor for developing cardiovascular disorders or chronic diseases; (ii) they can be influenced by genetic and environmental risk factors; and (iii) while clinical and epidemiological studies suggest that obesity is a risk factor for migraine, DM (i.e., type 1 and type 2 DM) have been reported to be either a protective or a risk factor in migraine. On this basis, and given the high worldwide prevalence of migraine, obesity, and DM, this article provides a narrative review of the current literature related to the association between the etiology and pathophysiology of migraine and these metabolic disorders, considering lifestyle aspects, as well as the possible involvement of neurotransmitters, neuropeptides, and/or sex hormones. While a link between migraine and metabolic disorders has been suggested, many studies are contradictory and the mechanisms involved in this association are not yet sufficiently established. Therefore, further research should be focused on understanding the possible mechanisms involved.

Pathophysiological Bases of Comorbidity in Migraine

Despite that it is commonly accepted that migraine is a disorder of the nervous system with a prominent genetic basis, it is comorbid with a plethora of medical conditions. Several studies have found bidirectional comorbidity between migraine and different disorders including neurological, psychiatric, cardio- and cerebrovascular, gastrointestinal, metaboloendocrine, and immunological conditions. Each of these has its own genetic load and shares some common characteristics with migraine. The bidirectional mechanisms that are likely to underlie this extensive comorbidity between migraine and other diseases are manifold. Comorbid pathologies can induce and promote thalamocortical network dysexcitability, multi-organ transient or persistent pro-inflammatory state, and disproportionate energetic needs in a variable combination, which in turn may be causative mechanisms of the activation of an ample defensive system with includes the trigeminovascular system in conjunction with the neuroendocrine hypothalamic system. This strategy is designed to maintain brain homeostasis by regulating homeostatic needs, such as normal subcortico-cortical excitability, energy balance, osmoregulation, and emotional response. In this light, the treatment of migraine should always involves a multidisciplinary approach, aimed at identifying and, if necessary, eliminating possible risk and comorbidity factors.

Cross-trait analyses with migraine reveal widespread pleiotropy and suggest a vascular component to migraine headache

BACKGROUND

Nearly a fifth of the world's population suffer from migraine headache, yet risk factors for this disease are poorly characterized.

METHODS

To further elucidate these factors, we conducted a genetic correlation analysis using cross-trait linkage disequilibrium (LD) score regression between migraine headache and 47 traits from the UK Biobank. We then tested for possible causality between these phenotypes and migraine, using Mendelian randomization. In addition, we attempted replication of our findings in an independent genome-wide association study (GWAS) when available.

RESULTS

We report multiple phenotypes with genetic correlation (P  < 1.06 × 10-3) with migraine, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, lipid levels, blood pressure, autoimmune and psychiatric phenotypes. In particular, we find evidence that blood pressure directly contributes to migraine and explains a previously suggested causal relationship between calcium and migraine.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the largest genetic correlation analysis of migraine headache to date, both in terms of migraine GWAS sample size and the number of phenotypes tested. We find that migraine has a shared genetic basis with a large number of traits, indicating pervasive pleiotropy at migraine-associated loci.

Plasma Glucose Levels Increase During Spontaneous Attacks of Migraine With and Without Aura

OBJECTIVE

To investigate plasma glucose changes during the ictal state of migraine compared to the interictal state.

BACKGROUND

Previous studies suggest abnormal glucose metabolism in migraine patients during and outside of attacks. It is not known if plasma glucose levels change during spontaneous migraine attacks.

METHODS

Plasma glucose levels were measured during and outside of spontaneous migraine attacks with and without aura. Plasma glucose values were corrected for diurnal variation of plasma glucose by subtracting the difference between the moving average (intervals of 2 hours) and overall mean from the plasma glucose values.

RESULTS

This was a sub-study of a larger study conducted at Rigshospitalet Glostrup in the Capital Region of Denmark. Thirty-one patients (24 F, 7 M, 13 with aura, 18 without aura) were included in the study. Mean time from attack onset to blood sampling was 7.6 hours. Mean pain at the time of investigation was 6 on a 0-10 verbal rating scale. Plasma glucose was higher ictally compared to the interictal phase (interictal mean: 88.63 mg/dL, SD 11.70 mg/dL; ictal mean: 98.83 mg/dL, SD 13.16 mg/dL, difference 10.20 mg/dL, 95% CI = [4.30; 16.10]), P = .0014). The ictal increase was highest in patients investigated early during attacks and decreased linearly with time from onset of migraine (-1.57 mg/dL/hour from onset of attack, P = .020). The attack-related increase in blood glucose was not affected by pain intensity or presence of aura symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

We demonstrated higher plasma glucose values during spontaneous migraine attacks, independent of the presence of aura symptoms and not related to pain intensity, peaking in the early phase of attacks. Additional studies are necessary to confirm our findings and explore the possible underlying mechanisms.

Opening of ATP-sensitive potassium channels causes migraine attacks: a new target for the treatment of migraine

Migraine is one of the most disabling and prevalent of all disorders. To improve understanding of migraine mechanisms and to suggest a new therapeutic target, we investigated whether opening of ATP-sensitive potassium channels (KATP) would cause migraine attacks. In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study, 16 patients aged 18–49 years with one to five migraine attacks a month were randomly allocated to receive an infusion of 0.05 mg/min KATP channel opener levcromakalim and placebo on two different days (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03228355). The primary endpoints were the difference in incidence of migraine attacks, headaches and the difference in area under the curve (AUC) for headache intensity scores (0–12 h) and for middle cerebral artery blood flow velocity (0–2 h) between levcromakalim and placebo. Between 24 May 2017 and 23 November 2017, 16 patients randomly received levcromakalim and placebo on two different days. Sixteen patients (100%) developed migraine attacks after levcromakalim compared with one patient (6%) after placebo (P = 0.0001); the difference of incidence is 94% [95% confidence interval (CI) 78–100%]. The incidence of headache over the 12 h observation period was higher but not significant after levcromakalim (n = 16) than after placebo (n = 7) (P = 0.016) (95% CI 16–71%). The AUC for headache intensity was significantly larger after levcromakalim compared to placebo (AUC0–12h, P < 0.0001). There was no change in mean middle cerebral artery blood flow velocity after levcromakalim compared to placebo (AUC0–2hP = 0.46). Opening of KATP channels caused migraine attacks in all patients. This suggests a crucial role of these channels in migraine pathophysiology and that KATP channel blockers could be potential targets for novel drugs for migraine.

Vascular wall imaging in reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome - a 3-T contrast-enhanced MRI study

Background

Limited histopathology studies have suggested that reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndromes (RCVS) does not present with vascular wall inflammation. Previous vascular imaging studies have had inconsistent vascular wall enhancement findings in RCVS patients. The aim of this study was to determine whether absence of arterial wall pathology on imaging is a universal finding in patients with RCVS.

Methods

We recruited patients with RCVS from Taipei Veterans General Hospital prospectively from 2010 to 2012, with follow-up until 2017 (n = 48). We analyzed the characteristics of vascular wall enhancement in these patients without comparisons to a control group. All participants received vascular wall imaging by contrasted T1 fluid-attenuated inversion recovery with a 3-T magnetic resonance machine. The vascular wall enhancement was rated as marked, mild or absent.

Results

Of 48 patients with RCVS, 22 (45.8%) had vascular wall enhancement (5 marked and 17 mild). Demographics, clinical profiles, and cerebral artery flow velocities were similar across patients with versus without vascular wall enhancement, except that patients with vascular wall enhancement had fewer headache attacks than those without (p = 0.04). Follow-up imaging completed in 14 patients (median interval, 7 months) showed reduced enhancement in 9 patients, but persistent enhancement in 5.

Conclusion

Almost half of our RCVS patients exhibited imaging enhancement of diseased vessels, and it was persistent for approximately a third of those patients with follow-up imaging. Both acute and persistent vascular wall enhancement may be unhelpful for differentiating RCVS from central nervous system vasculitis or subclinical atherosclerosis.