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Is There Any Correlation between Migraine Attacks and Iron Deficiency Anemia? A Case-Control Study

A. Tayyebi, M. Poursadeghfard, Masoume Nazeri, Tahereh Pousadeghfard

International Journal of Hematology-Oncology and Stem Cell Research, 2019

100 participants · 24 citations

Abstract

Background: Migraine headache is an episodic abnormality which usually presents with a severe headache, accompanied by nausea, photo and sound sensitivity, and autonomic symptoms. Iron accumulation in brain, especially peri-aqueductal grey is associated with duration of the disease, and apparently there is an association between body iron storage status and the incidence of migraine; hence, the present study was conducted to investigate the plausible association between iron-deficiency anemia and migraine in a case-control design. Materials and Methods: After signing the written informed consent, the blood samples were collected by a well-trained technician from the patients proved to have migraine, those having migraine clinical criteria and those having migraine attack frequency as high as that prophylaxis was required, and non-migraine healthy individuals, those having not migraine and anemia except iron-deficiency anemia. Based on the sample size, each group composed of samples with at least 100 individuals. Results: There were statistically significant differences between female cases and controls regarding hemoglobin, serum ferritin levels and iron-deficiency anemia (P: .0004; .006; .001), but no differences were observed among males (P: .606; .38; .303). Furthermore, the case-control comparisons revealed a significant difference in iron-deficiency anemia (P: .032), but no significant difference was seen in hemoglobin and serum ferritin levels (P: .161; .178).…

How strong is the evidence?

Evidence Hub reads this as a case-control, done in people. Its evidence level is 4 of 5 (Low · observational). Observational designs can show an association but not prove cause. Reported size: 100 participants or records.

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