Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32762643›Full record

ArticleThe journal of headache and pain2020

Migraine, obesity and body fat distribution - a population-based study.

Espen Saxhaug Kristoffersen, Sigrid Børte, Knut Hagen, John-Anker Zwart, Bendik Slagsvold Winsvold

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in The journal of headache and pain, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 48 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
48citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
5.3field-weighted citation impact, top 3% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

48 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 72 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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  8. Sex-specific considerations in migraine therapy.Neurotherapeutics : the journal of the American Society for Experimental NeuroTherapeutics · 2026
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  18. [Association between weight-adjusted waist index and pain: A cross-sectional study].Beijing da xue xue bao. Yi xue ban = Journal of Peking University. Health sciences · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Espen Saxhaug KristoffersenResearch and Communication Unit for Musculoskeletal Health, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway. e.s.kristoffersen@medisin.uio.no.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8999-5424
Sigrid BørteResearch and Communication Unit for Musculoskeletal Health, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
Knut HagenDepartment of Neuromedicine and Movement science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
John-Anker ZwartInstitute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
Bendik Slagsvold WinsvoldDepartment of Research, Innovation and Education, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
Oslo University Hospital · NONorwegian University of Science and Technology · NO

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundObesity has been linked to an increased prevalence of migraine, and to increased migraine attack frequency, but several questions are left unanswered by previous studies. We examined the relationship between obesity and headache in a large, population-based study where we could take into account body fat distribution, migraine subtypes and tension-type headache.

methodsThe third population-based Nord-Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT3) included validated headache questionnaires and objective anthropometric measurements. Using a cross-sectional design, our sample consisted of 18,191 women and 14,985 men, aged 19 to 96 years. Of these 4290 (12.9%) had migraine, 4447 (13.4%) had frequent tension-type headache (TTH), and 24,439 were headache-free controls. A total of 5049 individuals with unclassified headache were excluded from the analyses. Using logistic regression, we modeled the association between obesity and headache prevalence, adjusting for relevant confounders.

resultsBoth total body obesity (TBO) and abdominal obesity (AO) were associated with a higher prevalence of migraine when compared to headache-free controls (OR 1.45 95% CI 1.32-1.59 and OR 1.29 95% CI 1.18-1.41, respectively), in particular for individuals < 50 years of age (OR 1.74 95% CI 1.54-1.98 and OR 1.89 95% CI 1.69-2.11). Similar results were seen for migraine with and without aura. Similar Overall, a weaker associations were as observed between obesity and TTH. There was a dose-response relationship between obesity categories and increased headache frequency in subjects with migraine. TBO was associated with migraine prevalence and attack frequency independent of AO.

conclusionBoth TBO and AO were associated with migraine prevalence and attack frequency. This association was largely limited to individuals < 50 years of age. TBO, rather than AO, may be a better measure of obesity in relation to migraine.

Indexed as

AdultAgedAged, 80 and overBody Fat DistributionCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHeadacheHumansMaleMiddle AgedMigraine DisordersObesityPrevalenceSurveys and QuestionnairesTension-Type HeadacheYoung AdultBody mass indexGeneral populationObesePain

Identifiers

PMID32762643
PMCPMC7409451
OpenAlexW3047255843

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.