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Survey study, 2017

How common is migraine in women with PMS?

About 1 in 7 medical students with PMS also had migraines. Most migraines occurred without visual symptoms and happened about 4 times per month. Results may not apply to all women since this studied only medical students.

Early or limited evidence 218 medical students aged 18-30 in Iran

What they did

Cross-sectional study of 218 medical students aged 18-30 in Iran, conducted from March 2015 to March 2016. Researchers confirmed PMS using a screening tool and identified migraines using international headache criteria.

What they found

Of 218 students with PMS, 32 (14.7%) had migraine headaches. About 84.4% occurred without visual aura. The mean number of attacks was 4.34±1.93 per month. Migraine was more common in interns, married students, those with irregular menstruation, those with family history of migraine, and those living in dormitories.

What it means for you

About 1 in 7 women with PMS may have migraines. The study only looked at medical students in one country, so findings may not apply to all women. Higher migraine rates in certain groups suggest other factors besides PMS affect migraine risk.

14.7%

had migraine

84.4%

without visual aura

4.34±1.93

mean attacks per month

About the study

Original title
Migraine in Premenstrual Syndrome; Frequency and Associated Factor
Authors
Mehran Homam, Arezou Farajpour, Hamidreza Hatamian et al.
Journal
Caspian Journal of Neurological Sciences
Year
2017
Study design
Survey study
Participants
218
What was tested
Measuring migraine prevalence in students with PMS
Open access
Yes

Topics