Longer Daytime Fasting may Increase Risk of Same-Day Headaches in Migraine Patients, suggests research
A study presented at American Headache Society Annual Scientific Meeting; June 19-22, 2025; Minneapolis has revealed that fasting for 5 to 6 hours increased the odds of a same-day headache by 49% in adults with episodic migraine, when compared to those fasting for only 1 to 2 hours. This research cautioned that altering eating habits based on these findings may be premature.
The findings come from a secondary analysis of a prospective, 90-day observational study involving 42 adults with episodic migraine, who were asked to complete electronic headache diaries 3 times daily. On average, participants experienced 9.4 headache days per month and tracked their meal and snack timing between 5 a.m. and 8 p.m. via evening diary entries.
This research defined the "maximum daytime fasting interval" as the longest time between meals or snacks during waking hours. The study by Slavin and team aimed to evaluate whether this interval influenced the same-day risk of experiencing a headache.
The analysis showed that when participants fasted for 5–6 hours during the day, they had 49% higher odds of experiencing a headache on the same day compared to days when they fasted for only 1–2 hours. This association remained statistically significant, with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.49 (95% confidence interval: 1.05–2.12, p = 0.028).
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