Associations between Dietary Acid Load and Migraine Headache Severity and Duration among Women: A Cross-Sectional Study

Migraine is considered the most common cause of long-term disability in under-50s, which can lead to unbearable pain and neurological dysfunction. Many factors, especially dietary factors, are suggested to trigger migraine headaches. The present study aimed to examine the association between diet-dependent acid load and severity and duration of headaches among migraine patients.

In this cross-sectional study, a sample of 266 women (18-45 years) with history of migraine headaches was enrolled. Dietary data was collected by using a validated Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ). Then, diet-dependent acid load indices including Potential Renal Acid Load (PRAL) and Net Endogenous Acid Production (NEAP) were calculated for the participants. For all cases, anthropometric measurements and headache duration were assessed. Headache severity was determined by Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) questionnaires.

In this study, individuals with higher PRAL (OR=1.87, 95% CI=1.19-2.96, p=0.007) and NEAP (OR=1.58, 95% CI=1.02-2.44, p=0.03) scores were 87 and 58%, respectively, more likely to have severe headaches. Moreover, our results showed a significant direct correlation between PRAL (β=0.14, 95% CI=0.56-2.94, p=0.04) and NEAP (β=0.18, 95% CI=0.45-3.34, p=0.01) scores and headache duration of participants.

The present study showed that higher diet-dependent acid load scores may be associated with higher headache severity and duration in migraine patients.