Migraine and Risk of Dementia: A Nationwide Retrospective Cohort Study

Abstract

Objective: Migraines are one of the most common neurological disorders. Dementia is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by slow progressive memory loss and cognitive dysfunction. This retrospective cohort study investigates the association between migraines and dementia using a nationwide population-based database in Taiwan. Methods: We retrieved the data analyzed in this study from the National Health Insurance Research database (NHIRD) in Taiwan. We used multivariate Cox proportion-hazards regression models to assess the effects of migraines on the risk of dementia after adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics and comorbidities. Results: The migraine cohort had a higher prevalence of diabetes, hypertension, coronary artery disease, head injury and depression at baseline (p < 0.0001). After adjusting the covariates, migraine patients had a 1.33-fold higher risk of developing dementia [hazard ratio (HR) 1.33, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.22-1.46]. The sex-specific incidence rate of dementia was higher in men than in women in both cohorts, with an HR of 1.09 (95% CI 1.00-1.18) for men compared to women. Kaplan-Meier analysis shows that the cumulative incidence of dementia was 1.48% greater in the migraine cohort than in the nonmigraine cohort (log-rank test, p < 0.0001). Conclusions: This study shows that migraines are associated with a future higher risk of dementia after adjusting for comorbidities. Specifically, the association between migraine and dementia is greater in young adults than in older adults.

Time-Resolved Integrative Optical Imaging of Diffusion during Spreading Depression

“…In both cases, recurring or long-lasting decreases in diffusion permeability and ECS volume would increase the concentration of these proteins beyond normal physiological range, which may facilitate neurodegeneration and brain disorders. Indeed, epidemiological studies indicate that medical history of migraine correlates with cognitive decline and increased risk of dementia at older age (50,51).…”

Exposure to Genocide and the Risk of Dementia

“…This SES measure has been used in many previous studies (e.g., Central Bureau of Statistic, ; Goldberg et al., ; Levine, Levav, Goldberg et al., ; Levine, Levav, Yoffe et al., ). Information on diagnostic covariates during 2011 was ascertained from ICD‐9 and ICD‐10 codes (listed in Supplementary Table ) on obesity (Beydoun, Beydoun, & Wang, ), diabetes (Biessels, Staekenborg, Brunner, Brayne, & Scheltens, ), cancer (Keinan‐Boker et al., ), delirium (Davis et al., ), vitamin deficiencies (Littlejohns et al., ), concussion or head injury (Li et al., ), migraine (Chuang, Lin, Lin, Sung, & Kao, ), depression, PTSD (Yaffe et al., ), sleep (Baumgart et al., ), and schizophrenia (Korner, Lopez, Lauritzen, Andersen, & Kessing, ; Levine, Levav, Goldberg, et al., ). These covariates were chosen on the basis of their association with outcome and/or exposure.…”

Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Pediatric Migraine

“…Migraine also has associations with cognitive impairment, 16 stroke, 17 and dementia. 18 WMH are often interpreted as demyelination and axonal injury, which may be an underlying problem in migraine. 19 Several adult studies show WMH are more common in migraineurs than in control populations, and WMH have been shown to be progressive in migraineurs.…”