Serum lipid profile in migraine and its association with clinical characteristics

ABSTRACT

Objectives

Migraine is one of the most prevalent and disabling conditions worldwide. Dyslipidemia has become an issue of great importance recently in migraine patients. There is still no consensus on the relationship between specific lipid levels with clinical characteristics of migraine and patients’ demographic features. In this study, we investigated each serum lipid level in migraine patients and correlated it with migraine and patients’ characteristics to understand the contribution of these factors together.

Methods

In this case-control study, 100 patients with migraine and 76 healthy control subjects were included. Serum lipid levels were calculated and compared with the control group. Also, we analyzed the clinical characteristics of patients and their correlation with lipid levels. Regression analyses were performed to identify the predictors of serum lipid levels.

Results

Total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), and surprisingly high-density lipoprotein (HDL-c) levels were found significantly higher in the migraine group. Also, low-density lipoprotein (LDL-c) level showed a trend of increase and has become significantly higher in the migraine group after adjusting by age. Moreover, there was a positive correlation only between age and TC, LDL-c, and TG levels among the clinical characteristics of migraine and patients’ demographic features.

Discussions

Due to accompanying dyslipidemia, migraine might be considered a risk factor for vascular events regardless of its clinical characteristics. Notwithstanding, elevated HDL-c levels may play a protective role for the vascular events. This dilemma needs to be further explored in future trials to reveal potential biological mechanisms of lipids in migraine patients and to find the optimal therapeutic approach to dyslipidemia.

KEYWORDS:

• Migraine
• lipids
• total cholesterol
• triglyceride
• high-density lipoprotein cholesterol
• low-density lipoprotein cholesterol

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.

Notes on contributors

Elif Uygur-Kucukseymen

Dr. Elif Uygur-Kucukseymen is currently Consultant Neurologist at Kepez State Hospital (Antalya, Turkey). She completed post-doc research in Neuromodulation/Brain Stimulation at Harvard Medical School. Also, her special interests include epilepsy, EEG/qEEG and headache.

Gizem Akca

Dr. Gizem Akca is currently Consultant Neurologist at Kepez State Hospital (Antalya, Turkey). Her special interests include headache and stroke.