Atopic Dermatitis May Be Risk Factor for New-Onset Migraine

FRIDAY, Dec. 16, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Adults with atopic dermatitis (AD) have a significantly increased risk for new-onset migraine, according to a letter to the editor published online Oct. 21 in the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology & Venereology.

Ji Hae Lee, from the Catholic University of Korea in Seoul, and colleagues used the Korean National Health Insurance Service claims database to identify 3.5 million adults in Korea who underwent a nationwide health check-up in 2009. The impact of AD on the risk for new-onset migraine was assessed.

The researchers found that 48,983 adults (1.5 percent) had a diagnosis of AD, while 449,484 new-onset migraines were identified during 7.6 years of median follow-up. In people with AD, the cumulative incidence of new-onset migraine was 21.8 per 1,000 person-years, which was significantly higher than in those without AD (16.5 per 1,000 person-years; hazard ratio, 1.26). The risk for new migraine was slightly higher among those with moderate-to-severe AD (hazard ratio, 1.26) versus those with mild AD. Among patients with AD, smoking and male sex were significantly associated with a higher risk for new-onset migraine. There was also a synergistic increase in the risk for migraine in AD patients with sleep disorders or stroke.

“Further study is needed to examine whether appropriate management of AD can guard against the risk of new-onset migraine,” the authors write.

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