Migraine and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)

• It has been reported that migraine is more common in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) than in general (1,2)

Prevalence of migraine if IBD

• previous studies demonstrate that the prevalence of migraine in patients with IBD is more than the general population and the odds are increased by 2.6-fold (2)
• a systematic review and meta-analysis showed that the pooled prevalence of migraine in patients with IBD was 19% (95% CI: 15–22%) (2)
  • whereas the prevalence is higher in CD (Crohn's disease) cases than UC (Ulcerative colitis) ones (24% vs 10%)

Risk of development of IBD in migraineurs (1)

• a nationwide Korean population-based cohort study revealed an increased risk for developing IBD including both CD (Crohn's disease) and UC (Ulcerative colitis) in patients with migraine compared to the general population
  • cumulative risk of IBD showed a gradual increase following a diagnosis of migraine and, especially for CD, a steep rise after 5 years of follow-up in migraineurs
  • risk of CD was unaffected by age, sex, health behaviours, or metabolic comorbidities, while the association was prominent in male UC patients
  • absolute risk increase of 1/per 100,000 person-years
    • study authors noted that
      • ".. may seem clinically insignificant, but considering inflammatory bowel disease, which has characteristics of very low incidence and prevalence the increase in the hazard ratio of 10% can be regarded as a meaningful increase.."
      • "..risk of IBD including CD and UC in patients with migraine was significantly higher compared to the nationwide general population. Therefore, clinicians should be aware of the potential risk of IBD in patients diagnosed with migraine especially in men for the development of UC and in migraineurs with a long disease duration for a further risk of CD.."

Reference:

1. Lee, C.H., Han, K., Lee, H.J. et al. Migraine is associated with the development of adult patients with inflammatory bowel disease: a nationwide, population-based study. Sci Rep14, 1157 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-51455-3
2. Olfati H, Mirmosayyeb O, Hosseinabadi AM, Ghajarzadeh M. The Prevalence of Migraine in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Int J Prev Med. 2023 May 27;14:66.