Migraines unlikely to increase the risk of Parkinson’s for women
Large clinical trial shows no link between disorders with some common points
Women with current or past migraines were not seen to be at a higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease in a recent study that analyzed data from a large U.S. clinical trial of women’s health.
The risk was similar across the migraine types experienced by the women, including those with or without aura, the visual or sensory disturbances that occur prior to head pain, as well as the frequency of migraine attacks.
“These results are reassuring for women who have migraine, which itself causes many burdens, that they don’t have to worry about an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease in the future,” Tobias Kurth, MD, the study’s lead author and director of the Institute of Public Health at Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, said in an American Academy of Neurology news release. “The generalizability of our findings to other populations, such as men, should be further investigated.”
The study, “Migraine and Risk of Parkinson Disease in Women,” was published in the journal Neurology.
7% higher disease risk seen in women with current or past migraines
Migraine is a neurological condition defined by throbbing head pain, often on one side of the head, that may be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and/or sensitivity to light, sound, and smells. In some cases, pain may be preceded by an aura, a warning symptom that can include visual disturbances, such as flashing lights or blind spots, and impaired sensations and speech.
Previous studies suggest that migraine and Parkinson’s may share some common underlying mechanisms, and people with migraine may be at an increased risk of the disease. However, “data on the association between migraine and risk of developing Parkinson’s disease are sparse,” the researchers noted.
Researchers, all at the German university, analyzed data covered 39,312 female health professionals in the U.S. enrolled in the Women’s Health Study, a Phase 3 trial (NCT00000479) evaluating the potential cardiovascular and anti-cancer benefits of aspirin and vitamin E at low dose. At the study’s start, participants had an average age of 55, and 7,321 reported past or current migraines.
Among these 7,321 people, 2,057 women (5.2%) reported migraines with an aura, and 3,111 (7.9%) without one.
During an average follow-up of 22 years, 685 women received a Parkinson’s diagnosis; among them, 128 (18.7%) had a history of a previous or active migraine.
After adjusting for confounding factors that could affect the risk of Parkinson’s, such as age, physical activity, alcohol use, and smoking, women with migraines were not more likely to develop the disease than others, the scientists found. Specifically, the risk was 7% higher for women with migraines and not statistically significant, meaning the finding could be due to chance.
Migraine frequently and the presence or absence of an aura did not alter results.
“Since this study involved only female health professionals who were primarily white people, more research is needed to determine whether the results will apply to other groups, including men, women and other races, ethnicities, and gender identities,” Kurth said.
Other noted study limitations included the self-reported nature of migraines and Parkinson’s disease, and the possibility that some participants may have developed Parkinson’s after follow-up ended, which could mask an association between migraines and disease risk.
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