Association Between Serum Vitamin D and Severe Headache or Migraine: A Population-based Analysis

Overview

Journal PLoS One

Specialties General Medicine
Science

Date 2025 Jan 3

PMID 39752405

Authors

Shunfa Hao

Renyi Qian

Yiru Chen

Jingfang Liu

Xiaoyan Xu

Yunxiang Guan

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Vitamin D is thought to play a role in the development of migraine, but the nature of the relationship is still not fully understood. Although some studies have shown an association between vitamin D deficiency and migraine, other studies have had inconsistent or inconclusive results. Therefore, further research is needed to better understand the relationship between vitamin D and migraine headaches.

Methods: We selected 9142 participants from the 2001-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). In our study, the term "serum vitamin D" refers to the concentration of 25OHD2 + 25OHD3 (nmol/L) in the blood. Migraine was assessed based on self-reports in the miscellaneous pain section of the NHANES questionnaire. Associations between vitamin D and the risk of migraine were examined using multiple logistic regression, smoothed curve fitting, and stratified analyses.

Results: In our study, 20.53% of the participants suffered from migraine. The prevalence of migraine was higher in those with lower serum vitamin D levels. Participants in the highest quartile of serum vitamin D levels were found to have a 16% lower prevalence than those in the lowest quartile in the fully adjusted model (OR = 0.84, 95% CI 0.71-0.99). This result was supported by stratified analysis and smoothed curve fitting.

Conclusion: Our study showed a significant negative correlation between serum vitamin D levels and the prevalence of migraine in American adults.

References

Burch R, Buse D, Lipton R . Migraine: Epidemiology, Burden, and Comorbidity. Neurol Clin. 2019; 37(4):631-649. DOI: 10.1016/j.ncl.2019.06.001. View

Ismailova A, White J . Vitamin D, infections and immunity. Rev Endocr Metab Disord. 2021; 23(2):265-277. PMC: 8318777. DOI: 10.1007/s11154-021-09679-5. View

Niu P, Wang X, Xu Y . Higher Circulating Vitamin D Levels Are Associated With Decreased Migraine Risk: A Mendelian Randomization Study. Front Nutr. 2022; 9:907789. PMC: 9505695. DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2022.907789. View

Mottaghi T, Askari G, Khorvash F, Maracy M . Effect of Vitamin D supplementation on symptoms and C-reactive protein in migraine patients. J Res Med Sci. 2015; 20(5):477-82. PMC: 4590203. DOI: 10.4103/1735-1995.163971. View

Kjaergaard M, Eggen A, Mathiesen E, Jorde R . Association between headache and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D: the Tromsø Study: Tromsø 6. Headache. 2012; 52(10):1499-505. DOI: 10.1111/j.1526-4610.2012.02250.x. View

Farghali M, Ruga S, Morsanuto V, Uberti F . Can Brain Health Be Supported by Vitamin D-Based Supplements? A Critical Review. Brain Sci. 2020; 10(9). PMC: 7563709. DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10090660. View

Hussein M, Fathy W, Abd Elkareem R . The potential role of serum vitamin D level in migraine headache: a case-control study. J Pain Res. 2019; 12:2529-2536. PMC: 6709376. DOI: 10.2147/JPR.S216314. View

Lips P, van Schoor N . The effect of vitamin D on bone and osteoporosis. Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2011; 25(4):585-91. DOI: 10.1016/j.beem.2011.05.002. View

Chiang C, Schwedt T . Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)-targeted therapies as preventive and acute treatments for migraine-The monoclonal antibodies and gepants. Prog Brain Res. 2020; 255:143-170. DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2020.06.019. View

10.

Ashina H, Guo S, Vollesen A, Ashina M . PACAP38 in human models of primary headaches. J Headache Pain. 2018; 18(1):110. PMC: 5815979. DOI: 10.1186/s10194-017-0821-3. View

11.

Wu Z, Malihi Z, Stewart A, Lawes C, Scragg R . The association between vitamin D concentration and pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Public Health Nutr. 2018; 21(11):2022-2037. PMC: 10260782. DOI: 10.1017/S1368980018000551. View

12.

ONeill C, Kazantzidis A, Ryan M, Barber N, Sempos C, Durazo-Arvizu R . Seasonal Changes in Vitamin D-Effective UVB Availability in Europe and Associations with Population Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D. Nutrients. 2016; 8(9). PMC: 5037520. DOI: 10.3390/nu8090533. View

13.

Tzankova V, Becker W, Chan T . Diagnosis and acute management of migraine. CMAJ. 2023; 195(4):E153-E158. PMC: 9888545. DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.211969. View

14.

Marmura M . Triggers, Protectors, and Predictors in Episodic Migraine. Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2018; 22(12):81. DOI: 10.1007/s11916-018-0734-0. View

15.

Ghorbani Z, Togha M, Rafiee P, Ahmadi Z, Rasekh Magham R, Haghighi S . Vitamin D in migraine headache: a comprehensive review on literature. Neurol Sci. 2019; 40(12):2459-2477. DOI: 10.1007/s10072-019-04021-z. View

16.

Buse D, Loder E, Gorman J, Stewart W, Reed M, Fanning K . Sex differences in the prevalence, symptoms, and associated features of migraine, probable migraine and other severe headache: results of the American Migraine Prevalence and Prevention (AMPP) Study. Headache. 2013; 53(8):1278-99. DOI: 10.1111/head.12150. View

17.

Gaul C, Diener H, Danesch U . Improvement of migraine symptoms with a proprietary supplement containing riboflavin, magnesium and Q10: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, multicenter trial. J Headache Pain. 2015; 16:516. PMC: 4393401. DOI: 10.1186/s10194-015-0516-6. View

18.

Humphrey P . 5-Hydroxytryptamine and the pathophysiology of migraine. J Neurol. 1991; 238 Suppl 1:S38-44. DOI: 10.1007/BF01642905. View

19.

Sheridan D, Spiro D, Meckler G . Pediatric migraine: abortive management in the emergency department. Headache. 2014; 54(2):235-45. DOI: 10.1111/head.12253. View

20.

Patrick R, Ames B . Vitamin D hormone regulates serotonin synthesis. Part 1: relevance for autism. FASEB J. 2014; 28(6):2398-413. DOI: 10.1096/fj.13-246546. View