Children with Allergic Diseases Have An Increased Subsequent Risk of Migraine upon Reaching School Age

Abstract

The association between migraine and allergy has remained a subject of debate for more than a century. To systemically investigate the interaction between children with antecedent allergic diseases and their future risks of migraine on reaching school age, we recruited 16,130 children aged 7-18 with migraine diagnosed between 2000 and 2008, and 64,520 matched controls without a history of migraine. The ORs of migraine were calculated for the association with allergic diseases diagnosed before migraine diagnosis. The allergic diseases included atopic dermatitis, allergic conjunctivitis, allergic rhinitis (AR), and asthma. Children with preceding allergic diseases had a greater subsequent risk of migraine than the controls. Among the four evaluated diseases, AR had the highest adjusted OR (aOR) of 2.17 (95% CI 2.09 to 2.26). Children with all four allergic diseases had the highest aOR of 3.59 (95% CI 2.91 to 4.44). Further, an increasing trend of aORs was observed with more allergic disease-associated medical consulting. Our study indicates that children with allergic diseases are at increased subsequent risk of migraine when they reach school age, and the risk shows a cumulative effect of more allergic diseases and more allergy-related healthcare.

Associations of self-reported atopic dermatitis with comorbid conditions in adults: a population-based cross-sectional study

“…It is possible that individuals with severe AD have a higher prevalence of adverse cardiovascular events because of shared associated factors such as obesity, smoking, hypertension, and diabetes. Migraine has previously been linked to allergic diseases such as asthma and allergic rhinitis, and some studies have reported an association with AD in children and adolescents as well [7,8]. Our study adds new knowledge about the increased prevalence of migraine and headache in adults with AD.…”

“…Migraine has previously been linked to allergic diseases such as asthma and allergic rhinitis, and some studies have reported an association with AD in children and adolescents as well [ 7 , 8 ]. Our study adds new knowledge about the increased prevalence of migraine and headache in adults with AD.…”

“…Further, smoking has been reported to be associated with both AD and COPD, suggesting that it may be a shared risk factor for the two diseases. Co-occurrence of migraine has also been observed in individuals with AD [ 7 , 8 ].…”

The influence of allergic rhinoconjunctivitis on migraine disability in children

“…Several studies have correlated allergic rhinitis with migraine in childhood, pointing either to a prominent prevalence of the latter in patients with atopy 10 , or to a higher than expected frequency of allergic conditions in migraineurs 5,7-9 . The susceptibility for developing migraine in children suffering from allergic rhinitis was also suggested 11,12 .…”

“…Although this relationship may be bidirectional, two longitudinal surveys from Taiwan have reported a higher risk of developing migraine in atopic children in comparison with nonatopic children, especially those with allergic rhinitis 11,12 , suggesting a role of the immune system in the manifestation of migraine. On the other hand, anti-asthmatic and anti-allergic therapies were associated with decreased risk of migraine in children and adolescents 8 .…”