Risk factors for white matter lesions in migraine patients: Insights for prevention and management

Abstract

Background & Objective: White matter lesions (WML) are commonly observed in cerebral Magnetic Resonance Imaging scans of individuals with migraine. However, the exact causes of these lesions in migraine patients remain unclear. This study aims to identify and assess risk factors associated with WML in migraine patients.

Methods: Our study included 63 migraine patients with and 64 patients without WML. We compared clinical characteristics and laboratory data between the two groups, including age, gender, age of migraine onset, duration of migraine disease, history of cigarette smoking, presence of hypertension, presence of an aura, attack frequency, photophobia and phonophobia.

Results: Multivariate analysis revealed that the risk of developing WML increased two times with age (odds ratio [OR] = 2.00; 95% confidence interval [CI] for OR = 1.24–3.19) and was nearly five times higher in women (OR = 4.92; 95% CI = 1.14–21.11). Compared to patients experiencing a single attack a month, those with 2-5 attacks per month had a seven-fold higher risk, while those with more than five attacks per month had a nine-fold higher risk of developing WML (OR = 7.82; 95% Cl = 1.40–43.64, 9.17; 95% CI = 1.59–52.54). Additionally, a 100-unit increase in TG levels doubled the chances of developing WML (OR = 2.22; 95% CI = 1.23-4.00).

Conclusion: This study identifies age, female gender, attack frequency, and elevated TG levels as significant risk factors for the development of WML in migraine patients. These findings provide insights for the prevention and management of WML in individuals with migraine.