Comorbidity of migraine and somatic diseases

Abstract

A 5-year prospective follow-up study was performed at the Institute of Mental Health in Belgrade, and it included adult patients diagnosed with migraine. A protocol for prospective follow-up of comorbiditiy of migraine and somatic diseases was designed, whereas data were analyzed using standard statistical methods. The study comprised 381 patients, mean age 35.8 (range 19-60) years, 60 (15.8%) males and 321 (84.2%) females. The mean duration of migraine history before the first visit to the doctor was 7.7 (0-36) years. There was no concomitant disease in 50.5% of examinees. The most common concomitant diseases in the study population were: spondylosis (15.9%), head injury (12.9%), gynecological disorders (11.6% of female subgroup), hypotension (8.8%), hypertension (8.5%), allergy and asthma (5.8%), various cardiovascular diseases (4%) and epilepsy (3%). The incidence of the majority of diseases is in accordance with known epidemiological data for general population (except for head injury and epilepsy). In the subgroup of patients with comorbidity, almost 70% of patients reported more than one migraine attack per month, compared to 35% of patients without concomitant diseases, and about 60% of them had a higher intensity of headache in comparison with 35% of those without comorbidity. Present results indicate an increased severity of migraine attacks in patients with comorbidity. Therefore, it is necessary to assess how good management of comorbid diseases can alleviate the course and intensity of migraine headaches.