Diabetes linked with lower migraine risk

[DCUK NewsBot]

A new study shows that having diabetes is linked with a lower risk of suffering migraines. The news makes a welcome change from the usual news that links diabetes to higher rates of conditions. It is great to see that diabetes appears to confer some advantages. Migraine is a moderate or severe headache that presents as throbbing pain on one side of the head. It occurs in around one in five women and one in 15 men. Nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to sound and light are other symptoms that may accompany migraine. The study was carried out by Norwegian researchers who used data from the Norwegian prescription database. A period of 10-years was reviewed for development of type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes or migraine. The data included over 100,000 people with diabetes. 92% of the people with diabetes had type 2 diabetes and 8% with type 1 diabetes. Incidence of migraine was 26% lower in people with type 1 diabetes than in the population with diabetes. The data was adjusted for age and sex to reach this figure. People with type 2 diabetes showed an 11% reduction in risk of migraines with the same adjustment. When education level was also factored in, the results for type 1 and type 2 diabetes were similar to each other. The researchers conclude that both types of diabetes were associated with a lower risk of migraine and that the results suggest that diabetes may present a protective factor against developing migraine. The way the study was run did not enable researchers to look into why people with diabetes were at lower risk of migraine. To date, the reasons why migraine occurs are not well understood. One theory is that they may result from chemical changes in the body that affect the nerves and blood vessels close to the brain. Hormonal changes may play a part in migraines and it is possible that this may be part of the reason why people with diabetes have a lower risk of migraine. Other possible factors include differences that may affect the blood vessels or nerves of people with diabetes. More research will be needed to investigate why people with diabetes show lower risk of migraine. The study is published in Cephalalgia: An International Journal of Headache.

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[dbr10]

A new study shows that having diabetes is linked with a lower risk of suffering migraines. The news makes a welcome change from the usual news that links diabetes to higher rates of conditions. It is great to see that diabetes appears to confer some advantages. Migraine is a moderate or severe headache that presents as throbbing pain on one side of the head. It occurs in around one in five women and one in 15 men. Nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to sound and light are other symptoms that may accompany migraine. The study was carried out by Norwegian researchers who used data from the Norwegian prescription database. A period of 10-years was reviewed for development of type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes or migraine. The data included over 100,000 people with diabetes. 92% of the people with diabetes had type 2 diabetes and 8% with type 1 diabetes. Incidence of migraine was 26% lower in people with type 1 diabetes than in the population with diabetes. The data was adjusted for age and sex to reach this figure. People with type 2 diabetes showed an 11% reduction in risk of migraines with the same adjustment. When education level was also factored in, the results for type 1 and type 2 diabetes were similar to each other. The researchers conclude that both types of diabetes were associated with a lower risk of migraine and that the results suggest that diabetes may present a protective factor against developing migraine. The way the study was run did not enable researchers to look into why people with diabetes were at lower risk of migraine. To date, the reasons why migraine occurs are not well understood. One theory is that they may result from chemical changes in the body that affect the nerves and blood vessels close to the brain. Hormonal changes may play a part in migraines and it is possible that this may be part of the reason why people with diabetes have a lower risk of migraine. Other possible factors include differences that may affect the blood vessels or nerves of people with diabetes. More research will be needed to investigate why people with diabetes show lower risk of migraine. The study is published in Cephalalgia: An International Journal of Headache.

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Every cloud....

 

[Lamont D]

Since my hba1c levels were higher than normal, (about twenty odd years ago) I stopped having migraine attacks.
During my twenties and thirties, I had one at least one every fortnight.
Since then, because of dietary changes for the good or bad, until I went very low carb no diet worked, whatever it was, whichever food, was causing this trigger has completely stopped.
Even though, I had really severe high circulating insulin, insulin resistance, high blood glucose levels, no migraines!
Even now, whatever the trigger, there is something in this, because the wife, (T2) has stopped having migraine headaches especially around the period time of the month.
As @dbr10 says, every silver lining......

 

[wiflib]

How I hate migraines being described as a moderate, one sided headache with possible nausea. There are many types and for most of us are debilitating and require symptom treatment to A&E via a 999 call. I have BEGGED to be killed many times and no, T2 has had no impact on them at all.

The only thing I adore about getting one is the post euphoria that lasts for a day or two.

 

[Robbity]

As an ex-long term chronic migraine sufferer, I don't know about diabetes having any effect at all on my migraines, but eating a low carb diet has certainly cut down on both severity and frequency for me. I believe others on the forum have found the same, and there was a thread about this (possibly started by Kevin Potts) a while back.

How I hate migraines being described as a moderate, one sided headache with possible nausea. There are many types and for most of us are debilitating....

Oh how I agree with you, but I did have a friend who had the type with auras and little pain, and she could generallly fix them with something like paracetemol. I used sometimes to wish a real 3 days of agony migraine on people who though a bad headache was the same thing...

Robbity

PS - ETA: Ketogenic diets have been used for many years to treat epilepsy and are now also believed to help with Alzheimers, and brains can apparently become insulin resistant, so presumably there's an association between this type of diet and "brain issues".

 

[wiflib]

As an ex-long term chronic migraine sufferer, I don't know about diabetes having any effect at all on my migraines, but eating a low carb diet has certainly cut down on both severity and frequency for me. I believe others on the forum have found the same, and there was a thread about this (possibly started by Kevin Potts) a while back.


Oh how I agree with you, but I did have a friend who had the type with auras and little pain, and she could generallly fix them with something like paracetemol. I used sometimes to wish a real 3 days of agony migraine on people who though a bad headache was the same thing...

Robbity

PSA Ketogenic diets have been used for many years to treat epilepsy and are now believed to help with Alzheimers, and brains can apparently become insulin resistant, so presumably there's an association between this type of diet and "brain issues".

I’ll have a search for that. I’ve been low carb/keto for almost 10 years and sadly it’s made no difference. My dad said he grew out of his so that gives me hope.

 

[ickihun]

I'm only starting to get headaches in past few years but are definitely not a migraine.
Stress related with very high bgs only.
Dehydration can give headaches.

I know very little about migraines but partners family all suffer from them. None are diabetic.

Why do migraines happen? Is it known?

 

[Robbity]

I’ll have a search for that. I’ve been low carb/keto for almost 10 years and sadly it’s made no difference. My dad said he grew out of his so that gives me hope.

Yes my mum (migraines appear to run in our family) used to try to console me with the fact that she grew out of hers as she got to her 60s. I certainly didn't though! But some triggers eventually changed - e.g. monthly hormonal for mainly windy or stormy weather - so air pressure - related. These have also always been the main cause of them for my SIL and her husband called her his little barometer.

Robbity

 

[wiflib]

I'm only starting to get headaches in past few years but are definitely not a migraine.
Stress related with very high bgs only.
Dehydration can give headaches.

I know very little about migraines but partners family all suffer from them. None are diabetic.

Why do migraines happen? Is it known?

Many theories but it’s not really clear, they can’t even agree on the physiology and the varying types are being discovered all the time. Different treatments work for diffenrlt symptoms and types but I think it’s one of those conditions that is not taken all that seriously.
I found a paper recently that stated there is a link between aura migraines and increased chance of stroke so hopefully, awareness will be raised.