Glucose and Diet in the Fasting Migraineur

Abstract

SYNOPSIS In migraine, are there different metabolic responses to glucose ingestion, and if so, do the patients have different detectable characteristics which may be of use to determine their treatment? Thirty two volunteer migraineurs, for whom fasting was a known precipitant, were challenged with a glucose meal after an overnight fast. Symptoms and glucose levels were recorded at intervals over three hours. Examination of the changes in symptoms, elicited two groups with opposite responses, which were also significantly different with respect to circulating glucose levels. Furthermore, sub‐groups defined by dietary precipitants as expressed by the migraineur, were also found to be significantly different in both of these parameters. A treatment plan, for this type of migraine attack, based on the the dietary factors which may provoke its evolution and the response to glucose, is discussed.

Insulin Metabolism is Altered in Migraineurs: A New Pathogenic Mechanism for Migraine?

“…The correlation between migraine and abnormal glucose metabolism is supported by a variety of evidence. Acorrelation was found between migraine and diabetes, 4 the most frequent triggering factor reported by migraineurs is fasting, and migraine is more likely in susceptible persons when there is low insulin receptor activation 5,6 . Insulin resistance was also suggested by Rainero et al, 19 who found higher glucose but similar insulin levels 180 minutes after OGTT in migraineurs than controls.…”

Chronic migraine in women is associated with insulin resistance: a cross‐sectional study

“…The relationship between migraine and diabetes is still unclear, and there are conflicting results about migraine prevalence in patients with diabetes . Some studies supposed that migraine is more common in susceptible people in a condition of low insulin receptor activation . Rainero et al .…”

“…The relationship between migraine and diabetes is still unclear, and there are conflicting results about migraine prevalence in patients with diabetes [29]. Some studies supposed that migraine is more common in susceptible people in a condition of low insulin receptor activation [10,30]. Rainero et al suggested IR in patients with migraine, finding a higher glucose level and a similar insulin level in migraineurs compared with controls, 180 min after the OGTT [14].…”

Metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance in migraine

“…In the present study, the most common trigger was noise (95.6%) followed by stress (94.8%), sun exposure (89.6%) and fasting (74.1%). Fasting results in activation of insulin receptors which may trigger a migraine attack [28]. Low sucrose diets may reduce the frequency of migraine attack [29].…”