Prevalence pattern and associations of migraine headaches in multiple sclerosis: Insights from a large-scale cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background/Aim

While the comorbidity of migraine and multiple sclerosis (MS) has been documented, large-scale studies examining migraine patterns in MS patients, particularly across diverse age ranges, are scarce. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and patterns of migraines in MS patients and compare them with known patterns in the general population from existing literature.

Methods

This cross-sectional study included 706 MS patients (ages 14–73), spanning pediatric to late-onset MS cases. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and logistic regression were used to analyze the relationships between variables and identify factors influencing the risk of migraines.

Results

Of the 706 patients, 185 (26.2%) were found to have migraines. Among these, 144 patients (77.8%) reported developing migraines after their MS diagnosis. Age and sex did not emerge as significant predictors of migraine prevalence. However, a notable association was observed between MS subtypes and migraine occurrence. Patients with the Relapsing-Remitting MS subtype had higher odds of experiencing migraines (odds ratio = 1.73, 95% CI: 1.03 to 2.89, p = 0.03), as did those with the Primary Progressive MS subtype (odds ratio = 2.48, 95% CI: 1.23 to 4.99, p = 0.01) compared to the Secondary Progressive subtype.

Conclusion

Our study highlights distinct patterns of migraine prevalence in MS patients, notably the lack of significant sex- or age-related differences, which contrasts with the established trends in the general population. Additionally, we observed a significant association between MS subtypes, particularly PPMS, and increased migraine risk.