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irls who approach puberty at a more
rapid rate than their peers may be at higher risk of migraine, according to new
research.
New
research may have found what triggers migraine in some women.
Migraine affects
children as well as adults, and statistics show that boys and girls experience
the condition at a similar rate — until menstruation starts, that is.
After
the first menstrual period, girls experience migraine at a higher percentage
than boys.
The
new study looked a little deeper into the puberty–migraine connection.
It
was led by Dr. Vincent Martin, a professor in the Division of General Internal
Medicine and the director of the Headache and Facial Pain Center at the
University of Cincinnati (UC) Gardner Neuroscience Institute in Ohio.
The
researchers revealed that although migraine tends to affect more girls than
boys, there may be another factor to consider: early puberty.
"We
know that the [percentage] of girls and boys who have migraine is pretty much
the same until menstruation begins," says Dr. Martin.
"When
the menstrual period starts in girls, the prevalence goes way up, but what our
data suggest is that it occurs even before that."
Puberty and its relation to migraine in girls
This research, which the team presented at the American Headache Society 61st Annual Scientific Meeting in
Pennsylvania, PA, pored over data from 761 adolescent girls from three
metropolitan areas in the United States.
The
ages of the participants ranged from 8 to 20, and scientists collected the data
over a 10-year span that started in 2004.
The
scientists examined the participants, who were ages 8–10 at the start of the
study, every 6–12 months to determine if puberty was approaching.
They
considered signs of puberty to include breast development (thelarche), the
growth of pubic hair (pubarche), and the start of menstruation (menarche).
Also,
the participants (at around 16 years old) filled out questionnaires to
determine their migraine status during the study. Around 11% of the
participants had received a diagnosis of migraine, and 7% had probable
migraine. The bulk of the participants had no migraine at all (82%).
When the researchers examined the data further, they
discovered an additional factor for those who had migraine: These participants
tended to have experienced earlier thelarche or menarche than those without the
condition.
Although
there was no quantifiable difference in those who had early pubarche, girls
with migraine experienced thelarche around 4 months earlier and menarche around
5 months earlier, on average.
Also,
there was a considerable uptick in the chances of developing migraine for each
year earlier that a girl experienced either thelarche or menarche.
"This
suggests a strong relationship between early puberty and the development of
migraine in adolescent girls," says Susan Pinney, Ph.D., a professor in
the UC Department of Environmental Health and a lead investigator on the study.
Migraine and children
Migraine
is not exclusive to adults. In fact, the Migraine Research Foundation note that
migraine occurs in around 10% of school-aged children, with more than half
experiencing their first episode by the age of 12. As noted above, migraine
incidence increases once a girl goes through puberty.
Migraine
is a neurological condition, more than just a "bad headache." Those who
have these headaches might experience other symptoms beyond head pain, such as
nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and mood changes, as well as sensitivity to light,
sound, touch, and odors.
Experts
do not know exactly what causes migraine, but it is likely that a genetic
factor is involved, as well as environmental factors.
If
both parents have migraine, for instance, their children have a 75% chance of
inheriting it — and even if only one parent has it, the children still have a
50% chance.
Early puberty a possible risk factor
The
new study emphasizes that girls who experience puberty earlier than their peers
are at an increased risk of developing migraine.
"To
suggest the origins of migraine may occur actually before menstrual periods
begin is pretty novel," says Dr. Martin.
He
goes on: "At each of these stages, different hormones are starting to
appear in girls. During pubarche, testosterone and androgens are
present, and during thelarche, there is the very first exposure to estrogen. Menarche is when
a more mature hormonal pattern emerges.
"Our study implies that the
very first exposure to estrogen could be the starting point for migraine in
some adolescent girls. It may be the Big Bang Theory of migraine."
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