title: Alcohol and migraine: what should we tell patients?
abstract: Alcoholic drinks are a migraine trigger in about one third of patients with migraine in retrospective studies on trigger factors. Many population studies show that patients with migraine consume alcohol in a smaller percentage than the general population. Moreover, research has shown a decreased prevalence of headache with increasing number of alcohol units consumed. The classification criteria of alcohol-related headaches remain problematic. We discuss the role and mechanism of action of alcohol or other components of alcoholic drinks in relation to alcohol-induced headache. In accordance with data from a recent prospective study, we believe that reports overestimate the role of alcohol, as well as other foods, in the triggering of migraine. If a relationship between the intake of alcohol and the migraine attack is not clear, a small dose of alcohol is not contraindicated either for enjoyment or its protective effect on cardiovascular disease.
authors.affiliation: Headache Center, Department of Neurology, San Giuseppe Hospital, Viale Boccaccio 20, Empoli, FI 50053, Italy. a.panconesi@usl11.tos.it
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Panconesi
authors.forename: Maria Letizia
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Bartolozzi
authors.forename: Leonello
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Guidi
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000453:epidemiology; D000434:Alcoholic Beverages / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D038801:International Classification of Diseases / Q000592:standards; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D012189:Retrospective Studies