Prevalence and risk of migraine in patients with rosacea: A population-based cohort study.
BACKGROUND
Rosacea features increased neurovascular reactivity; migraine is a complex neurologic disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of headache associated with nausea and increased sensitivity to light and sound.


OBJECTIVE
We evaluated the prevalence and risk of new-onset migraine in patients with rosacea.


METHODS
All Danish individuals 18 years of age or older were linked in nationwide registers. Adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) were estimated by Cox regression.


RESULTS
In the total cohort (n = 4,361,688), there were 49,475 patients with rosacea. Baseline prevalence of migraine was 7.3% and 12.1% in the reference population and in patients with rosacea, respectively. The fully adjusted HR of migraine was 1.31 (95% confidence interval 1.23-1.39) for patients with rosacea. Patients with phymatous rosacea (n = 594) had no increased risk of migraine (adjusted HR 0.45; 95% confidence interval 0.11-1.80), whereas patients with ocular rosacea (n = 6977) had a 69% increased risk (adjusted HR 1.69; 95% confidence interval 1.43-1.99). Notably, the risk was higher among patients age 50 years or older than in younger individuals, and the risk was only significant among women.


CONCLUSIONS
We were unable to distinguish between migraine subtypes.


CONCLUSIONS
We found a significantly higher prevalence and risk of incident migraine especially in female patients with rosacea. These data add to the accumulating evidence for a link between rosacea and the central nervous system.
Department of Dermatology and Allergy, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. Electronic address: alexander.egeberg@gmail.com.
Alexander
A
Egeberg
Danish Headache Center and Department of Neurology, Rigshospitalet Glostrup, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Messoud
M
Ashina
Department of Neurology, Odense University Hospital and Department of Clinical Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
David
D
Gaist
Department of Cardiology, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Gunnar H
GH
Gislason
Department of Dermatology and Allergy, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Jacob P
JP
Thyssen
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012042:Registries; D012307:Risk Factors; D012393:Rosacea / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012737:Sex Factors
epidemiology; headache; migraine; prevalence; risk; rosacea