Background
Statistical significance between serum 25(OH)D levels and headache in the pediatric population is still controversial. However, a supplementary vitamin D therapy in children with headache allowed us to note an improvement in the clinical symptoms in terms of frequency and severity[1].
Aim
To study vitamin D blood levels in primary headaches and to show the relationship with clinical parameters influencing clinical course of the headache.
Materials and methods
Sixty-seven males (42%) and 92 females (58%), aged between 5 to 18 years, suffering from headache, were divided into three diagnostic categories, according to the ICHD-III classification: migraine with aura (MWA), migraine without aura (MWoA) and tension-type headache (TTH). Serum vitamin D level lower than 20 ng/ml was considered pathological. Immunohistochemical methods of chemiluminescence were used to determine blood 25(OH)D level.
Results
Ninety-one patients (57%) received a diagnosis of MWoA, 32 (20%) of MWA and 36 (23%) of TTH. Hypovitaminosis D was found in 56% of the children with MWoA, in 50% of patients with MWA and in 44.4% with TTH. Twelve percent of all the sample showed severe Hypovitaminosis D (<10 ng/ml). There were neither statistically significant differences comparing vitamin D serum levels between males and females in each category of headache (p = 0.36), nor more severe deficiency of vitamin D in overweight children with BMI>90°C (p = 0.47), and serum concentration was not lower in adolescents and pre-adolescent than children under 10 years. A difference resulted in the limits of statistical significance (p = 0.07) in 25(OH)D serum level in children with MWoA compared to patients with MWA and THH.
Conclusions
Our study shows a high incidence of vitamin D deficiency in the pediatric population with headache (56%), particularly in migraineurs without aura[2]. Probably this deficiency could be directly correlated with a higher frequency of migraine attacks in children with MWoA.
Written informed consent to publication was obtained from the patient(s).
Acknowledgments
We thank Professor Stefano Necozione for the statistic analysis.
References
- 1.Cayir A, et al. Effect of vitamin D in addition to amitriptyline on migraine attacks in pediatric patients. Braz J Med Biol Res. 2014;47:349–54. doi: 10.1590/1414-431X20143606. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 2.Mottaghi T, et al. The relationship between serum levels of vitamin D and migraine. J Res Med Sci. 2013;18:S66–70. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]