BMI and Headache Among Women: Results From 11 Epidemiologic Datasets

Abstract

Among US women, a BMI of approximately 20 (about the 5th percentile) was associated with the lowest likelihood of headache. Consistently across studies, obese women had significantly increased risk for headache. By contrast, the risk for diagnosed migraine headache per se was not obviously related to BMI. The direction of causation and mechanisms of action remain to be determined.