Oral contraceptive use and parity status increase the risk of migraine: Study

Written By : Jacinthlyn Sylvia |Medically Reviewed By : Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli Published On 2024-04-26T09:15:13+05:30 | Updated On 26 April 2024 12:33 PM IST

Migraines are prevalent and often debilitating disorder which are now being associated to hormonal factors in women during their reproductive years. A recent study published in the Cephalalgia: An International Journal of Headache conducted in Norway highlighted on how female sex hormones can influence the occurrence of migraines.

The Norwegian Women and Cancer Study encompassed a total 62,959 women who were born between 1943 and 1965. Nearly a quarter of the participants (24.8%) reported a history of migraines. The research looked into both endogenous and exogenous exposure to female sex hormones by utilizing the self-reported data.

The study found a notable association between age at menarche and migraine risk. Women with a later onset of menstruation exhibited a decreased risk of migraines. The hazard ratio (HR) was 0.96, with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 0.95–0.98.

Also, the use of oral contraceptives and parity (the number of children a woman has) were associated to an increased risk of migraines. Oral contraceptive use brought out an HR of 1.12 (95% CI = 1.06–1.18), while having children demonstrated an even higher risk with an HR of 1.37 (95% CI = 1.29–1.46).

These findings suggest a complicated relationship between hormonal factors and migraine susceptibility and emphasized the need for further research to establish the causality of these associations. Understanding these links could open the pathway for targeted interventions and more customized approaches to manage migraine, particularly in women.

Migraines can significantly impact the quality of life of a person. Thus, this research focuses on hormonal influences in understanding the origins of migraines but also potentially devise strategies in prevention and treatment tailored to any specific hormonal profile.

Reference:

Bugge, N. S., Grøtta Vetvik, K., Alstadhaug, K. B., & Braaten, T. (2024). Cumulative exposure to estrogen may increase the risk of migraine in women. Cephalalgia: An International Journal of Headache, 44(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/03331024231225972

Cephalalgiaoral contraceptivesmigraine risk

Source : Cephalalgia: An International Journal of Headache

Jacinthlyn Sylvia

Neuroscience Masters graduate

Jacinthlyn Sylvia, a Neuroscience Master's graduate from Chennai has worked extensively in deciphering the neurobiology of cognition and motor control in aging. She also has spread-out exposure to Neurosurgery from her Bachelor’s. She is currently involved in active Neuro-Oncology research. She is an upcoming neuroscientist with a fiery passion for writing. Her news cover at Medical Dialogues feature recent discoveries and updates from the healthcare and biomedical research fields. She can be reached at editorial@medicaldialogues.in

Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli

Dr Kamal Kant Kohli-MBBS, DTCD- a chest specialist with more than 30 years of practice and a flair for writing clinical articles, Dr Kamal Kant Kohli joined Medical Dialogues as a Chief Editor of Medical News. Besides writing articles, as an editor, he proofreads and verifies all the medical content published on Medical Dialogues including those coming from journals, studies,medical conferences,guidelines etc. Email: drkohli@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751