Stay a healthy weight to avoid migraine misery

MIGRAINE sufferers could prevent attacks by staying at a healthy weight, scientists claim.

A study found being obese raised the risk of the severe headaches, which can last as long as three days, by 27 per cent.

This is thought to be because fat stored under the skin can release molecules which trigger migraines. Women are three times more likely than men to suffer from the headaches – and also naturally carry more body fat.

However, the underweight were also found to be 13 per cent more at risk of migraines.

This too is believed to be linked to molecules released by fatty tissue – when we have too little or too much – which could make us ill.

The findings, reported in the journal Neurology, emerged from an analysis of 12 studies including almost 300,000 participants. Experts estimate that one in seven Britons suffer from migraines. Severity varies, with some patients getting less than one attack a year, while others are debilitated by several a week.

Study author Dr Barbara Peterlin, of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Maryland, US, said: ‘As obesity and being underweight are potentially modifiable risk factors for migraine, awareness of these is vital for both people with migraine and doctors.’

The main sign of a migraine is usually intense pain on one side of the head, but patients can also suffer vomiting, sensitivity to light and sound, and visual disturbance known as an aura. The exact cause is unknown, but attacks can be triggered by tiredness and stress.