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Is iron-deficiency anemia associated with migraine? Is there a role for anxiety and depression?

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Summary

Background

In this study, we determined the frequency of migraine headache in iron-deficiency anemia (IDA) patients and whether it was related to anxiety, depression, and somatization.

Methods

We included 127 consecutive IDA patients into the study. All patients were asked validated questions about headache and migraine face-to-face. They were administered validated questionnaires for anxiety-depression The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and somatization. The quality of life (QoL) disturbance associated with headache was marked on a 0–10 VAS.

Results

Of all IDA patients, 79.5 % defined headache at any time of their life. In addition, 36.2 % of all IDA patients defined the criteria for migraine. IDA patients with migraine were more frequently smokers and had significantly lower hemoglobin and mean corpuscular volume values (p values < 0.05). The IDA group with migraine had significantly higher mean anxiety score (p = 0.046) and headache-related QoL disturbance score (p = 0.021) than the IDA group without migraine. Migraine patients with aura had lower hemoglobin values (p = 0.02), higher depression scores (p = 0.005), and higher migraine-related QoL disturbance scores than others.

Conclusions

IDA patients have a high frequency of migraine headache. The presence of anxiety and depression have great influence on the presence of migraine in IDA patients.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Hematology, Trakya University Medical Faculty, Eski Yildiz Cad. Park Apt. No:22 Daire:18, Beşiktaş, Istanbul/Edirne, Turkey

    Gülsüm Emel Pamuk MD

  2. Department of Psychiatry, Edirne State Hospital, Edirne, Turkey

    Mehmet Şerif Top MD

  3. Department of Internal Medicine, Trakya University Medical Faculty, Edirne, Turkey

    Mehmet Şevki Uyanık MD, Hilal Köker MD, Mustafa Akker MD & Recep Ak MD

  4. Department of Internal Medicine, Sema Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey

    Ömer Atalay Yürekli MD

  5. Department of Neurology, Trakya University Medical Faculty, Edirne, Turkey

    Yahya Çelik MD

Authors
  1. Gülsüm Emel Pamuk MD
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  2. Mehmet Şerif Top MD
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  3. Mehmet Şevki Uyanık MD
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  4. Hilal Köker MD
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  5. Mustafa Akker MD
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  6. Recep Ak MD
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  7. Ömer Atalay Yürekli MD
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  8. Yahya Çelik MD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gülsüm Emel Pamuk MD.

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Pamuk, G., Top, M., Uyanık, M. et al. Is iron-deficiency anemia associated with migraine? Is there a role for anxiety and depression?. Wien Klin Wochenschr 128 (Suppl 8), 576–580 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00508-015-0740-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00508-015-0740-8

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