Obesity and Migraine - What's the Connection
I am an overweight female who has migraine disease. It’s been
suggested to me by my loved ones and medical team that if I were to "lose
some weight" I would feel better. The truth is I have lost weight and
lowered my BMI (body mass index) by 11 points, but still have migraines. Is
there a connection between being fat and migraines? Yes, we do know from other studies that there is an association between being overweight and chronic migraines. Now however, it appears that people who
have episodic (14 or fewer migraine attacks a month) migraines are more apt to
be obese people who do not have migraine.
A study was recently released from the American Academy of
Neurology in the September 11, 2013 online issue of Neurology
® regarding
obesity and migraine. "Episodic migraine and obesity and the influence of age, race, and sex " authored by Dr. B. Lee
Peterlin of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, MD showed people with a high BMI are
81% more likely to have episodic migraines. Peterlin said "previous
studies have shown a link between people with chronic migraine and obesity, but
the research has been conflicting on whether that link existed for those with
less frequent attacks."
This study included 3,862 participants who completed a questionnaire on their age, height, migraine frequency and weight. Of the
participants, 1,044 were reported to be obese; 188 of them had episodic migraine. Per
the study, participants who showed the strongest association between migraines
and obesity were women under 50 years-old and Caucasian.
Dr. Peterlin also said that it would be beneficial for health care
professionals to encourage people with episodic migraine to incorporate healthy
choices into their lives. He went on to say "as obesity is
a risk factor that can potentially be modified and since some medications for
migraine can lead to weight gain or loss, this is important information for
people with migraine and their doctors.”
A healthy food plan, avoiding migraine triggers, getting some form of daily exercise
and maintaining a consistent sleep schedule are all lifestyle choices that many
of us need to make. A conversation about weight gain as a potential side effect of the medications we take is important to have with our doctors. While some of these changes are more difficult to make and stick to then others, it is important to be mindful of our choices. This will enable us to take control of our migraines and not let them control us.
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Photo credit: Nancy Harris Bonk
Thanks for reading,
Nancy
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© Nancy Harris Bonk, 2013. Last updated September 15, 2013.
