Survey study, 2023
How common are migraines linked to the menstrual cycle in women with PMS?
About 10.7% of reproductive age women in Saudi Arabia experienced migraines tied to their menstrual cycle. Among all women with migraine, 57.9% had migraines linked to their menstrual cycle. These migraines significantly interfered with work and daily activities.
What they did
Researchers surveyed 2130 women aged 18-50 with regular periods in Saudi Arabia about migraine headaches and PMS using a questionnaire between December 2022 and May 2023.
What they found
Of 2130 women, 397 (18.6%) had migraines. Of those with migraines, 230 (57.9%) had menstrual migraines and 167 (42.1%) had non-menstrual migraines. In the whole group, 10.7% had menstrual migraine and 7.8% had non-menstrual migraine. About one-third had moderate disability from migraines. Higher BMI was linked to more menstrual migraines. Most women with menstrual migraines missed at least 3 days of work in the last three months.
What it means for you
Menstrual migraines are common and disabling for many women with PMS, and weight appears to be a factor. The study is limited because it is descriptive and shows only how common migraines are, not what causes them or how to prevent them.
2130
women surveyed
18.6%
with any migraine
57.9%
of migraineurs with menstrual migraine
About the study
- Original title
- Study to Determine the Prevalence of Premenstrual Migraine among Women with Premenstrual Syndrome in Saudi Arabia
- Authors
- Al-Qahtani Z, Narapureddy BR, Reddy LKV et al.
- Journal
- Preprints.org
- Year
- 2023
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 2,130
- What was tested
- None
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.20944/preprints202310.1411.v1
Original abstract
Background: Migraine is one of the most common health conditions in the reproductive male and female population. Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a common condition that affects many women during their menstrual cycle. around 50 to 60% have menstrual headaches among the migraineur women. The symptoms in the majority were mild, but 5–8% may suffer moderate to severe symptoms, accompanied by considerable distress or functional dysfunction. Premenstrual migraine (PMM) refers to migraines that occur with the menstrual cycle. It affects approximately 50% of women with migraine and can be debilitating in terms of both frequency and severity of symptoms. This information is important for medical professionals in Saudi Arabia to be aware of so, as to provide better medical care and support which can significantly improve the person's quality of life of women who suffer from PMS and menstrual migraines. Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of menstrual migraines in women, to evaluate the severity and frequency of menstrual migraines in women with PMS, and to identify potential risk factors aggravating menstrual migraines in women with PMS. Methodology: A cross-sectional community-based study was conducted on reproductive age (18-50Years) women who have regular menstrual cycles with experience migraine headaches and are diagnosed with PMS and menstrual migraine, using a self-administered questionnaire between December 2022 to May 2023 in Saudi Arabia. Results: Out of 2130 women participants 397 were suffering from migraine which is 18.6%. Of the total 397(18.6%) Migraineurs individuals 230 (57.9%) were suffering from menstrual migraine and 167 (42.1%) were non-menstrual migraineurs, in general, reproductive women menstrual migraine is 10.7% and non-menstrual migraine is 7.8%. The BMI is increasing the incidence of menstrual migraines is increasing. Migraine Disability Around one-third of the participants were suffering from III–moderate disability 134 (33.8) Most of the menstrual migraine victims at least 3 days in the last three months were absent from their duties due to their menstrual migraines. Conclusions: Migraine attacks during the menstrual cycle cause the impairment of their social and physical ability to perform their routine household, and academic activities and unable to fulfill their professional commitments. To better understand the Menstrual Migraine and Non-menstrual migraine large prospective studies are required to plan the best management methods.
Reproduced under CC-BY.
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