Effect of zinc supplementation on symptoms among patients with migraine

Abstract

Background& aims: Prevalence of migraine is estimated at 14.7% and 14% around the world and Iran, respectively. Zinc deficiency has become one of the nutritional problems worldwide. People with migraines have lower levels of zinc, also, we are informed, that there have been no studies about the effect of zinc on symptoms among migraine patients. The aim of our study was to determine the effect of zinc supplementation on symptoms and CRP among patients with migraine. Materials and Method: This double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled, clinical study was conducted on 80 patients with migraine in Isfahan, Islamic Republic of Iran at 2016. Participants were randomly assigned to receive zinc sulphate supplementation including (220 mg/day as 50 mg of elemental zinc, Alhavi Company) or matching placebo (starch). Symptoms of migraine attacks including Severity of headache, headache frequency, duration, headache diary result (HDR) and CRP levels were determined for each patient at baseline and at the end of the trial. Results: In the baseline symptoms of migraine there was no significant difference between the two groups. In addition, the intervention compared to placebo resulted in a significant decrease in headache severity (P=0.048), headache frequency (P=0.026) and HDR (P=0.02), but, mean difference for duration of migraine attacks was borderline statistically significant trend (P=0.092). Conclusion: This study showed that zinc supplementation for 8 weeks may be an effective treatment option on symptoms of migraine