Associations between adherence to Mediterranean dietary pattern and frequency, duration, and severity of migraine headache: A cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT

Background

The present study was conducted to explore the association between adherence to Mediterranean dietary pattern and migraine headache features including frequency, duration, and severity, as well as patients’ migraine-related disabilities among the Iranian population diagnosed with migraine.

Methods

 In the present cross-sectional study on 262 migraine patients aged 20-50 years old, a validated 168-item, food frequency questionnaire was used to assess the dietary intakes of participants. The Mediterranean diet score was calculated for each subject using nine pre-defined dietary components and ranged from 0-9. The headache severity, duration, frequency, migraine headache index score (MHIS), and headache impact test-6 (HIT-6) were measured using related questionnaires.

Results

 After controlling for potential confounders, Mediterranean diet tended to be associated with lower headache frequency (β = −1.74, 95% CI: −3.53,0.03) and duration (β = −0.28, 95% CI: −0.59, −0.02) and was significantly associated with lower MHIS (β = −29.32, 95% CI: −51.22, −7.42), and HIT-6 score (β = −2.86, 95% CI: −5.40, −0.32) for those in the highest category of Mediterranean diet scores compared to the lowest category. A subgroup analysis of women also revealed a negative association between Mediterranean diet and headaches frequency (β = −2.30, 95% CI: −4.27, −0.32), duration (β = −0.42, 95% CI: −0.78, −0.07), scores of MHIS (β = −47.44, 95% CI: −71.90, −22.99), and HIT-6 (β = −3.45, 95% CI: −6.29, −0.61), after controlling for potential confounders.

Conclusions

The present study suggests that adherence to the Mediterranean dietary pattern is associated with lower headache frequency, duration, MHIS, and HIT-6 score.

KEYWORDS:

• Mediterranean diet
• migraine
• headache
• diet
• nutrition
• clinical symptoms
• quality of life
• healthy diet

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank all participants who kindly contributed to the study.

Disclosure statement

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

Financial support

This study was funded by Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.

Conflict of interest

None.

Consent for publication

Not applicable

Author Contribution

Conception and Design: A.A, G.A, F.K

Acquisition of Data: A.A, G.A, F.K

Analysis and Interpretation of Data: A.A

Drafting the Manuscript: A.A, G.A, E.K

Revising It for Intellectual Content: A.A, G.A, F.K, E.K, A.H

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by isfahan university of medical sciences.