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Association between weather conditions and migraine: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Shiqin Li, Qian Liu, Mengmeng Ma, Jinghuan Fang, Li He

Journal of Neurology, 2025

12 citations

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have linked migraine to weather conditions, but variations in the factors examined and inconsistent focus have complicated comparisons. This underscores the need for a more comprehensive and clearer analysis.

METHODS: Studies published before December 2024 on the association between weather and migraine were searched from PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane. Meta-analyses based on effect sizes were performed using Review Manager version 5.4.1.

RESULTS: A total of 31 studies were included in the meta-analyses. It revealed a significant association between migraine attack and weather changes reported as a trigger factor (RD = 0.47, 95% CI = 0.40-0.54). Additionally, specific weather factors, such as temperature (OR = 1.15, 95% CI = 1.02-1.29) and ambient pressure (OR = 1.07, 95% CI = 1.01-1.15), were significantly associated with migraine attacks, while humidity (OR = 1.04, 95% CI = 0.97-1.11) did not show a significant association. Moreover, increased levels of air pollutants, including PM10 (OR = 1.07, 95% CI = 1.03-1.11), PM2.5 (OR = 1.04, 95% CI = 1.01-1.06), NO2 (OR = 1.08, 95% CI = 1.03-1.14), CO (OR = 1.08, 95% CI = 1.01-1.16), and O3 (OR = 1.12, 95% CI = 1.03-1.21), were significantly associated with an increased risk of migraine clinical visits, whereas SO2 (OR = 1.02, 95% CI = 1.00-1.04) was not.

CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis revealed that weather changes are significant trigger factors for migraine, with temperature and…

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