ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Although some evidence implicates the immune system in migraine attacks, its role during attack-free periods remains largely unexplored. Therefore, we assessed the association between the immune system and migraine status. METHODS: From the population-based Rotterdam Study, we included 6593 participants who underwent blood sampling and migraine assessments. In the blood samples, we measured white blood-cell-based immune markers. As a marker for the innate immune system, granulocyte and platelet counts were determined, whereas lymphocyte counts were used as a marker for the adaptive immune system. Migraine was assessed using a validated questionnaire based on ICHD-2 criteria. We investigated associations between blood-cell counts and migraine using logistic regression models adjusting for age, sex and other variables. RESULTS: Mean age of participants was 65.6 ± 11.2 years and 56.7% were female. The lifetime prevalence of migraine was 15.1% (995/6593). We found no statistically significant associations between granulocyte (odds ratio [OR] per standard deviation increase 1.01 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 0.93-1.09), platelet (OR 1.01 CI: 0.94-1.09) or lymphocyte counts (OR 1.01 CI: 0.93-1.08) and migraine status. CONCLUSIONS: Our results do not support an association between white blood-cell-based immunity markers and migraine status.
Subject(s)
Migraine Disorders , Humans , Female , Middle Aged , Aged , Male , Cohort Studies , Migraine Disorders/epidemiology , Blood Platelets , Surveys and Questionnaires , Biomarkers , Immune SystemABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: It has been suggested that patients with migraine have a higher risk of stroke. Despite considerable research on this topic in younger populations, a clear answer is still lacking for older individuals. We studied the association between migraine and the risk of stroke in a middle-aged and elderly population. METHODS: Within the ongoing prospective population-based Rotterdam Study, the presence of migraine was assessed using a validated questionnaire in a structured interview between 2006 and 2011, which formed the baseline. The association between migraine and the risk of stroke was analyzed using Cox proportional-hazards models with adjustments for age, sex, and cardiometabolic risk factors. RESULTS: A total of 6925 (mean age 65.7 ± 11.3 years, 57.8% females) stroke-free participants were included. At baseline, 1030 (14.9%) participants had lifetime history of migraine. During a median follow-up of 6.2 years, 195 participants developed a stroke (163 ischemic stroke). Analyzing the association between migraine and stroke, we found a hazard ratio of 1.44 with a 95% confidence interval of 0.96-2.15. The results were similar for the ischemic stroke (HR 1.50, CI: 0.97-2.32). CONCLUSION: Our data suggested an association between migraine and the risk of stroke in a middle-aged and elderly population, but this was not statistically significant.
