Relationship of Serum Vitamin D Levels to the Severity of Migraine

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Abstract Background: Most studies done on Vitamin D deficiency in migraine focused more on headache frequency than intensity and severity of the condition. This study is aimed at determining the relationship between serum Vitamin D levels and severity of migraine in a Nigerian setting. Materials and Methods: Using a cross-sectional analytical study design, adult patients with migraine consecutively attending the neurology clinic at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, were recruited on fulfilling the study criteria. Their age- and sex-matched healthy headache-free controls were also recruited. Demographic information and clinical parameters were obtained with an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Headache severity and pain intensity were documented using incorporated headache disability index (HDI) and numerical rating scale (NRS) tools, respectively. Serum levels of Vitamin D, calcium and albumin were assayed for all study participants. Results: The participants comprised 35 migraine and 50 control subjects. The migraine subjects comprised 10 males and 25 females, with mean ages of 29.4 ± 9.3 and 40.0 ± 11.1 years respectively (P = 0.01). The mean serum Vitamin D levels among migraine and control participants were 43.45 ng/ml ± 16.84 and 48.78 ng/ml ± 23.33, respectively (P = 0.31). The mean NRS was 7.3 ± 1.2 while the mean HDI was 44.7 ± 19.1 among migraine patients. There was no significant correlation between serum Vitamin D levels and pain intensity (r = 0.29, P = 0.9), and no correlation with HDI (r = 0.004, P = 0.96). Conclusion: The serum Vitamin D levels among migraine and control participants were not significantly different. No significant relationship was found between serum Vitamin D level and headache severity index or pain intensity in migraine patients.