The Comorbid Relationship Between Migraine and Asthma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Population-Based Studies

Abstract

Objective: Recent studies have indicated a pathophysiologic link between migraine and asthma. This meta-analysis aimed to comprehensively estimate the risk ratio for migraine in asthma as well as that of asthma in migraine based on available evidence.Method: We systematically searched the electronic databases including PubMed, Web of Science, and SCOPUS for population-based studies that measured either the odds or the risk of asthma in subjects with migraine as well as that of migraine in subjects with asthma. The titles and abstracts were screened by two independent reviewers to identify eligible studies, and this was followed by full-text review of the included studies. Newcastle–Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used to assess the risk of bias of included literature. A meta-analysis was conducted with Review Manager 5.3 Software to calculate the odds ratio (OR) for case-control and cross-sectional studies and either relative ratio (RR) or hazard ratio (HR) for cohort studies, and the source of heterogeneity was assessed. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were conducted, and the I2 test were used to assess the source of heterogeneity. The funnel plot, Galbraith plot, and Egger's test were used to evaluate publication bias.Results: Fifteen published studies covering a total of 1,188,780 individuals were identified. Pooled analysis indicated that migraine was associated with increased odds (OR = 1.54; 95% CI: 1.34~1.77) and risk for asthma (HR = 1.42; 95% CI: 1.26~1.60), and asthma associated with increased odds (OR = 1.45; 95% CI: 1.22~1.72) and risk for migraine (HR = 1.47; 95% CI: 1.41~1.52).Conclusion: Migraine is a potential risk indicator for asthma, and vice versa, asthma is a potential risk indicator for migraine. However, future prospective cohort studies are warranted to provide more evidence concerning the detailed association between migraine and asthma.

Effect of wildfire smoke on primary headache disorders remains unclear

“…Many of these conditions can cause or worsen headaches and could also potentially be influenced by wildfire smoke 4,5 . Migraine can be associated with increased likelihood of other conditions, such as asthma, 6 that could lead to ED visits at times of worsened air quality, even if the migraine alone would not have prompted an ED visit.…”

Atopic Disorders and Their Risks of Migraine: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study

“… 8 9 20 21 22 There are also reports suggesting that patients with migraine have more personal or family history of atopic disorders, and that the incidence of migraine is increased in allergic patients. 12 13 23 24 25 However, most of the previous studies have limitations in that they are case reports, questionnaire studies, or single-institution studies, and that they included a limited number of study participants. 11 12 26 Recently, population-based studies have been performed to overcome these limitations whereas most of them have still targeted children and adolescents or have examined the correlation between migraine and atopic disorders other than AD.…”

“… 7 14 Furthermore, parasympathetic hyperactivity is considered to be involved in both asthma and migraine. 6 24 Cholinergic stimulation could [trigger bronchospasm in asthma, and could activate trigeminal pain pathway] as well as [induce degranulation of meningeal mast cell in migraine.] 6 …”

Migraine and Medical Ramifications: A Comprehensive Overview Based on Observational Study Meta-Analyses

“…Except for left-handedness (45), associations were found between migraine and the increased risk of phosphene (36), RLS (37), epilepsy (38), infant colic (40), suicidal contemplations (41), SSNHL (18), asthma (42), depression ( 43), primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) ( 44), together with attentiondeficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (46). One meta-analysis reported a statistically significant inverse association between migraine and total breast cancer risk (39).…”