Is There a Link Between Migraines & Diabetes?
According to Dr. Karen Vieira, Ph.D., in a Norwegian study, the number of migraines was lower in diabetics than non-diabetics. Dr. Michael Lavin of the Western Ophthalmic Hospital agrees, stating that diabetics could be less prone to migraines.
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Diagnoses
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Of the people in the Norway study, 1499 were diagnosed with diabetes. There were very few people who suffered from both migraines and diabetes.
Unrelated Causes
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Migraines are caused by vascular deviations in the brain, while diabetes has to do with absorption of glucose in the body.
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Possible Link
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According to Dr. Lavin, there is a link. The properties of blood vessels in diabetics change in such a way as to protect the brain from vessel-induced migraines.
Odd Correlation
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The contrary relationship between migraines and diabetes is not the first pair of unrelated diseases to be identified. In 1991, Canadian Neurologist Patrick McGeer found it was five times less likely for a person to develop Alzheimer's disease if he had rheumatoid arthritis.
The Future
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Understanding the protective relationship between migraines and diabetes may lead to specialists copying what happens naturally and applying it in the treatment of migraines.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Jamie Neely
