Migraine in adults with diabetes; is there an association? Results of a population-based study

AIMS: To investigate the association between migraine and diabetes mellitus while controlling for several socio-demographic characteristics, comorbidities, and lifestyle variables. We also aimed to identify which of these variables are associated with migraine among diabetics. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study using data taken from the European Health Interview Surveys for Spain conducted in 2009/10 (n=22,188) and 2014 (n=22,842). We selected those subjects ≥40 years of age. Diabetes status was self-reported. One non-diabetic control was matched by the year of survey, age, and sex for each diabetic case. The presence of migraine was defined as the affirmative answer to both of the following questions: “Have you suffered migraine or frequent headaches over the last 12 months?” and “Has your physician confirmed the diagnosis?”. Independent variables included demographic and socio-economic characteristics, health status variables, lifestyle, and pain characteristics. RESULTS: The prevalence of migraine was significantly higher among those suffering from diabetes (14.9% vs. 13.0%; p=0.021). The multivariable analysis showed that diabetes was not associated with a higher risk of migraine (adjusted OR 1.06; 95%CI 0.89–1.25). Among diabetic subjects, female sex, suffering concomitant mental disorders, respiratory disorders, neck pain, and low back pain were variables associated with suffering from migraine. CONCLUSION: We found no significant differences in the prevalence of migraine between diabetics and non-diabetic age- and sex-matched controls after controlling for possible confounders.