Svoboda | Graniru | BBC Russia | Golosameriki | Facebook

No evidence for an association of vitamin D deficiency and migraine: a systematic review of the literature

Biomed Res Int. 2014:2014:827635. doi: 10.1155/2014/827635. Epub 2014 May 8.

Abstract

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with a number of human disorders, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, frailty, and infections. Since an association between vitamin D and migraine has also been recently speculated, we performed an electronic search on Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science using the keywords "migraine" and "vitamin D," "25OH-D" "cholecalciferol," "ergocalciferol," with no language or date restriction. The electronic search allowed identifying seven studies (3 observational, 2 cross-sectional, and 2 case reports). The two case reports, including four women, showed favourable effects of vitamin D supplementation on migraine severity, but these studies were small and not placebo controlled. As regards the three observational studies, vitamin D deficiency was observed in 13.2 to 14.8% of migraine patients, and these rates do not differ from those reported in the general population (i.e., vitamin D deficiency between 22 and 42%). The results of the two cross-sectional studies are even more controversial, since no association was found between vitamin D status and migraine in both trials. In conclusion, the current evidence suggests that the association between migraine and vitamin D lacks reliable scientific support.

Publication types

  • Systematic Review

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Migraine Disorders* / etiology
  • Vitamin D Deficiency* / complications