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The Association Between Serum Vitamin D Levels and Migraine Severity in Women

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Internal Medicine, Mostafa Khomeini Hospital, School of Medicine, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran

2 Department of Social Medicine, Mostafa Khomeini Hospital, School of Medicine, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran

3 Neurophysiology Research Center, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran

4 Department of Neurology, Mostafa Khomeini Hospital, School of Medicine, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Background: Migraine is characterized by recurrent and intense headaches. Vitamin D deficiency has emerged as a noteworthy global public health issue. This study aimed to assess the correlation between serum vitamin D levels and the parameters of headache attacks in females with migraine.
Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled female migraine patients in Tehran, Iran. Pain intensity was assessed using the 6-point behavioral rating scale. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were measured employing the ELISA technique. To explore potential associations between vitamin D status and migraine characteristics, statistical analyses were conducted to assess correlations with the intensity, frequency, and duration of headache attacks.
Results: The study evaluated 138 female migraine patients (average age: 35.08 ± 0.80 years). Around 49.3% of the participants had sufficient vitamin D levels, with a mean serum concentration of 35.54 ± 1.92 ng/mL. The mean number of monthly migraine episodes was 6.95 ± 2.63, with each attack lasting approximately 24.7 ± 1.39 hours. A negative correlation was identified between pain intensity and both vitamin D levels (CC = -0.91, P < 0.001) and age (CC = -0.16, P = 0.05). Furthermore, elevated vitamin D levels were linked to reduced headache frequency (CC = -0.73, P = 0.01), although no statistically significant correlation was observed with headache duration (P = 0.48).
Conclusion: Our findings demonstrated a negative correlation between serum vitamin D levels and the intensity and frequency of headaches in female migraine patients. However, further investigations are needed to explore the potential therapeutic benefits of vitamin D in mitigating the severity of migraine disease.
 

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References

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Journal of Kerman University of Medical Sciences
Volume 33
Pages 1-5
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