Interaction between diabetes and body mass index on severe headache or migraine in adults: a cross-sectional study

Research on the effects of body mass index (BMI) on severe headache or migraine is limited and controversial. The aim of this study was to explore the association between BMI and the prevalence of migraine, with particular interest in diabetes status difference.

The present study used analyzed data from people who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 1999 and 2004. Logistic regression models and restricted cubic spline (RCS) models were applied to investigate the relationship between body mass index and migraine.

A total of 10,074 adults aged 20 years or older were included in this study. Body mass index was positively related to migraine, and the corresponding odds ratio (OR; 95% CI) was 1.02 (1.01, 1.03; p < 0.001). And compared to participants in the lowest group of body mass index (< 25 kg/m²), the adjusted ORs for migraine in medium group (25-29.9 kg/m²), and highest group (≥ 30 kg/m²) were 1.14 (95% CI: 0.98–1.32, p = 0.09) and 1.30 (95% CI: 1.11–1.52, p = 0.0022), respectively. The relationship between BMI and migraine exhibited a linear in overall in the RCS. Our findings also suggested an interaction between BMI and diabetes. The relationship between BMI and migraine in adults with diabetes was non-linear. The OR of developing migraine was 1.30 (95% CI: 1.10–1.54) in individuals with BMI ≥ 29.71 kg/m² in adults with diabetes.

A higher body mass index is significantly associated with an increased prevalence of migraine, and diabetes status can modify the association between them.