Thyrotropin levels and severity of symptoms in migraine patients of tertiary headache center

Abstract

Background: The role of thyroid regulation in migraine is poorly understood, and data is contradictory.

Objective: To study the possible association of clinical features of migraine with patients' thyroid function.

Patients and methods: One hundred and thirty migraine patients of a tertiary headache center took part in an open-label, cross-sectional comparative study. The Migraine Disability Assessment questionnaire, Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory, Vanderbilt's Questionnaire of Pain Management, Gothenburg Quality of Life Questionnaire and Migraine-Specific Quality of Life questionnaire were used. The effectiveness of the attacks' therapy was assessed according to the Migraine Assessment of Current Therapy questionnaire. Levels of thyrotropine (thyroid stimulating hormone), thyroxine, and triiodothyronine were studied by standard immune chemiluminescent method using the Immulite-2000 set.

Results: An inverse correlation between levels of thyroid stimulating hormone in serum and duration of headache attacks was revealed. The effectiveness of abortive therapy for attacks showed a statistically significant positive correlation with thyroid stimulating hormone level. Quality of life measured by a general quality of life questionnaire, as well as the functional and social indices of a migraine-specific questionnaire, showed direct correlation with serum thyroid stimulating hormone.

Conclusion: These results show an association of a more severe clinical course of migraine with lower thyroid stimulating hormone levels.

Keywords: Headache; efficacy of treatment; quality of life; thyroid.