Recently, in a study carried out at the Shariati Hospital in Tehran, 1.000 celiac patients over the age of 18 were evaluated against a control group, which included another 1.000 healthy individuals over the age of 18, who had been ruled out Celiac Disease. Some of the most interesting conclusions of the study were:
- Migraine was more common among celiac patients than controls (34% vs. 27%, respectively).
- Migraine was more prevalent in women (71.9% in women vs. 28% in men).
- The prevalence of migraine in celiacs was higher than in controls (20.7 vs. 11.9% respectively), being more prevalent in celiac women (80% in women vs. 19% in men).
Therefore, this study suggests that migraine is more prevalent in celiac patients than in healthy controls. However, more studies are needed on the relationship between migraine and celiac disease. Further intervention studies on the role of a gluten-free diet in relieving headaches in gluten-related disorders are also needed.
Reference: Fanaeian MM, Alibeik N, Ganji A, Fakheri H, Ekhlasi G, Shahbazkhani B. Prevalence of migraine in adults with celiac disease: A case control cross-sectional study. PLoS One. 2021;16(11):e0259502. Published 2021 Nov 17. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0259502
