Obese people increase their risk of migraine.
Photo / Thinkstock
Obese people increase their risk of migraine.
Photo / Thinkstock
Being seriously overweight can nearly double a person's chances of suffering migraines, a study has found.
Obese people were 81 per cent more likely to have episodic migraines than those of normal weight, scientists found.
Episodic migraines affect the vast majority of sufferers, who have the severe headaches for lessthan 15 days a month. In contrast, those with chronic migraines feel unwell for more than half the days in the month.
The research suggests that weight loss and exercise could help those who suffer from migraines. The findings also indicated the link between the condition and obesity is stronger in those under the age of 50.
"Previous studies have shown a link between people with chronic migraines and obesity, but the research has been conflicting on whether that link existed for those with less frequent attacks," said researcher Dr Barbara Lee Peterlin, of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore.
"As obesity is a risk factor that can potentially be modified and since some medications can lead to weight gain or loss, this is important for people with migraines and their doctors."
For the study, 3,862 people with an average age of 47 filled out surveys with information on height, weight and migraines.
A total of 1,044 participants were obese and 188 of the participants had occasional, or episodic, migraine, which is defined as 14 or fewer migraine headaches per month.
