Diet and Migraine Study

Obesity is a risk factor for migraine. Further, in the past decade multiple lines of research have substantiated the presence of migraine headaches as a risk factor for CVD (eg. stroke). Migraineurs have also been demonstrated to have abnormal insulin responses, higher lipids and endothelial dysfunction. Limited data suggests a low fat diet may be of benefit in reducing migraine frequency; no studies have examined the efficacy of a low carbohydrate (ie. low glycemic) diet for migraine prevention in adults.. None of these studies examined the effects and potential mechanisms of such diet programs on CV health, body composition, and the inflammatory cascade in migraineurs. This 3 -month study addresses the efficacy and potential mechanisms of two different diets, (a low carbohydrate diet and a low fat diet) for migraine prevention in a clinical cohort of overweight or obese persons with migraine. The overall aim is to test the hypothesis that each behavioral intervention will improve migraine frequency and that such improvements will be associated with favorable changes in body composition, inflammation, and CV parameters. Hypothesis 1.1 The mean monthly migraine frequency will be decreased in those who maintain a low-fat diet or low-carbohydrate diet for 3 months as compared to controls. Hypothesis 1.2 Participants randomized to the diets will demonstrate favorable changes in body composition (eg. decrease in adipose tissue volume on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and body fat on DEXA), inflammatory markers (eg. decrease in adipocytokine levels), and CV parameters (eg. improved cholesterol panel, glucose levels and markers of arterial stiffness) as compared to controls.