Migraine and Irritable Bowel Syndrome: an Epidemiological Study

Migraine and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are chronic conditions that seem to share common pathophysiological aspects.
Our study aimed to estimate the prevalence of IBS in an Iranian migraine population, investigate its association with headache's characteristics and depression.
This cross-sectional study was done in a tertiary hospital clinic in Iran. Of patients referring for headache, migraineurs were diagnosed using international classification of headache disorder second edition (ICHD-II) by an experienced neurologist. Then, they were asked to answer to IBS section of SEPAHAN (The study on the epidemiology of psychological, alimentary health and nutrition) questionnaire, Persian version of Rome III questionnaire, to identify IBS and its subtypes in patients. Depression was evaluated by using Persian version of Beck-Depression Inventory second edition (BDI-II). The data were analyzed in SPSS software version 20 using the Chi-square test, the independent t-test and the Mann-Whitney U test.
Of 215 participants, 84% were female. Their mean age was 34±10.5 years. The frequency of IBS was 13.5% among migraineurs. The most common type of IBS was undifferentiated (58.6%). IBS was more common among patients with migraine with aura (p=0.03). A significant association was observed between constipation dominant IBS and migraine (p=0.04). IBS patients were significantly depressed than non-IBS ones (p=0.01).
IBS prevalence is high in migraine patients. Therefore, its diagnosis and treatment should be regarded in their management to improve their quality of life.