Low Serum Levels of 3 Carotenoids Linked to Increased Risk for Migraine

Low serum levels of several carotenoids were associated with an increased risk for migraine, according to study results published in the European Journal of Nutrition.

There is a paucity of research into the role of carotenoids in migraine. However, neuroinflammation and oxidative stress are known to play crucial roles in its pathophysiology, and carotenoids have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.

Researchers conducted a cross-sectional study to examine the association between serum carotenoid levels and migraine risk. Adults (age, >20 years) with (n=1595) or without (n=6149) migraine in the United States who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 2001 and 2004 were included in the study. Using high-performance liquid chromatography, the researchers measured concentrations of the serum carotenoids α-carotene, β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, and lutein plus zeaxanthin, as well as retinol. Migraine was diagnosed if patients experienced severe headache or migraine during the past 3 months. Weighted multivariable logistic regression and restricted cubic spline models were used to determine the association between serum carotenoid levels and migraine risk. The researchers also assessed whether the serum retinol level mediates this association, given that provitamin A activity is the major function of carotenoids.

Among adults with or without migraine, the mean ages were 40 and 46 years, 64.8% and 47.3% were women, and 71.1% and 74.6% were non-Hispanic White. Patients with vs without migraine were younger, more likely to be women, had higher BMI levels, and had lower proportions of diabetes and alcohol consumption, as well as lower educational and economic levels. There was approximately double the prevalence of migraine in women vs men (28.2% vs 16.1%).

In the study population, 22.3% of patients had migraine.

In the adjusted multivariable analysis, the highest quartiles of 3 serum carotenoids were associated with a lower risk for migraine compared with the lowest quartiles:

• α-carotene (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.74; 95% CI, 0.57-0.97);
• β-carotene (aOR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.49-0.83); and
• lutein plus zeaxanthin (aOR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.53-0.78).

While the third quartile of serum β-cryptoxanthin was also associated with lower odds of migraine (OR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.54-0.90), there was no association between serum lycopene or retinol levels and migraine.

Study limitations include potential recall bias, reliance of self-reported data for migraine diagnoses, and the use of multiple carotenoid subtypes with similar serum levels. 

The researchers concluded, “The cross-sectional study, which was performed on a nationally representative United States cohort, indicated an inverse association between serum carotenoid levels and migraine risk in adults.”

This article originally appeared on Clinical Pain Advisor