The risk of newly diagnosed asthma in migraineurs with or without previous triptan prescriptions.
BACKGROUND
Previous observational studies reported an increased prevalence of asthma in migraine patients. Whether triptans affect the asthma risk has not yet been explored in an epidemiological study.


OBJECTIVE
To estimate the risk of newly diagnosed asthma in patients with a general practitioner-diagnosed migraine in the UK between 1994 and 2001.


METHODS
A population-based follow-up study and a nested case-control analysis were conducted using the General Practice Research Database.


RESULTS
The study encompassed 51,688 migraineurs and the same number of matched controls. In the follow-up analysis, the relative risk of developing asthma in migraineurs compared with non-migraineurs was 1.3 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1-1.4). In the nested case-control analysis, the adjusted odds ratio for asthma in migraineurs overall was 1.17 (95% CI 1.01-1.35), and for those with a recent triptan prescription 1.12 (95% CI 0.65-1.94).


CONCLUSIONS
The risk of developing asthma was not materially altered for patients with a general practitioner-recorded migraine diagnosis, regardless of triptan use.
Becker
Claudia
C
Basel Pharmacoepidemiology Unit, Division of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Brobert
Gunnar P
GP
Almqvist
Per M
PM
Johansson
Saga
S
Jick
Susan S
SS
Meier
Christoph R
CR
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012307:Risk Factors; D014363:Tryptamines / Q000009:adverse effects*
D014363:Tryptamines