Is there a relationship between dietary sodium and potassium intake and clinical findings of a migraine headache?

Is there a link between the inflammatory potential of a diet and mental health among patients with migraine? Findings from a cross-sectional survey

AIMS

In this study, we aimed to evaluate the relationship between the dietary inflammatory index (DII) and mental health outcomes among patients with migraine headaches.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, 262 subjects were included. The dietary intakes were collected using a validated 168-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Items were scored according to their inflammatory potential, so a higher DII indicated a more pro-inflammatory diet. The association between DII and the mental health of participants was investigated using multinomial logistic regression and odds ratio (OR) with a corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) was reported.

RESULTS

Overall, 224 women and 38 men, with a mean (standard error) DII of -2.96 (0.06), age of 36.1 (0.53) years, and BMI of 25.55 (0.21) kg/m2, comprised our study population. DII was positively associated with a higher risk of depression in patients with the highest adherence to a pro-inflammatory diet compared to those with the lowest adherence (OR = 1.76; 95%CI: 1.04, 3.00; Ptrend = 0.035). Adjustments for age, sex, marital status, smoking status, migraine headache index score, number of family members, mean arterial pressure, medication, physical activity, and BMI intensified the association in a way that the risk of depression was 2.03 times higher in patients with the highest adherence to a pro-inflammatory diet compared to those with the lowest adherence to a pro-inflammatory diet (OR = 2.03; 95%CI: 1.18, 3.49; Ptrend = 0.011).

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that depression was positively associated with adherence to a pro-inflammatory diet. However, no significant association was observed between anxiety and stress with DII.

Association between dietary potassium intake and severe headache or migraine in US adults: a population-based analysis

Background

Migraine is a prevalent neurovascular headache disorder. The link between dietary potassium and blood pressure has been established. We sought to delineate the relationship between dietary potassium intake and the prevalence of migraines.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional analysis using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) spanning 1999-2004, comprising 10,254 participants aged ≥20 years. Participants who reported severe headaches or migraine in the self-report questionnaire were identified as migraineurs. A 24-h dietary recall methodology was used to assess dietary potassium intake. Multivariate regression analysis and restricted cubic spline (RCS) modeling were utilized to elucidate the relationship between dietary potassium and migraines.

Results

Among the 10,254 participants, 20.1% were identified with migraine or severe headaches. The adjusted odds ratio (OR) for migraine occurrence in the Q2 dietary potassium intake (1771-2,476 mg/d) was 0.84 (95% CI: 0.73-0.97, p = 0.021) compared to the lowest quartile (Q1, ≤ 1771 mg/d). The relationship between dietary potassium and migraine exhibited an L-shaped pattern (non-linear, p = 0.016) with an inflection at approximately 1439.3 mg/d. In the subgroup analysis, when compared to Q1, who had the lowest dietary potassium intake, the adjusted OR for Q2 in females, those in the medium-high household income group, and with a Body Mass Index (BMI) ≥ 25 kg/m2 were as follows: (OR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.69-0.98), (OR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.66-0.95), and (OR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.66-0.93), respectively. No significant interaction was observed across groups after adjusting for all possible covariates.

Conclusion

The relationship between dietary potassium intake and migraine prevalence among US adults appears to follow an L-shaped curve.

Is there an association between a plant-based eating pattern and clinical findings of a migraine headache?

Aims

The present study was conducted among Iranian individuals diagnosed with migraine headaches to investigate the association between plant-based eating patterns and the clinical features of a migraine headache.

Methods

In total, 262 patients aged 20-50 years who were diagnosed with migraine headaches were included in the current cross-sectional study. Participants' dietary intake was assessed using a validated 168-item, semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Three versions of the plant-based diet index (PDI) comprising overall PDI, healthy PDI (hPDI), and unhealthy PDI (uPDI) were generated. Headache frequency, duration, and severity were assessed via a 30-day headache diary. Migraine-related disability was assessed with a validated version of the headache impact test (HIT-6) questionnaire. Serum nitric oxide (NO) was measured using the Griess method utilizing serum samples.

Results

After controlling for potential confounders, an increase in mean PDI score from 48.22 to 61.67 decreased the frequency of headaches by -2.95 (95% CI: 0.06, 0.53; p_trend = 0.005). PDI was inversely associated with serum levels of NO in those with the highest scores of PDI compared to those with the lowest scores after adjustment for confounders (β = -7.69; 95% CI: -14.68, -0.69; p_trend = 0.028). After adjustment for potential confounders, an increase in the mean hPDI score from 47.96 to 65.25 decreased serum levels of NO by -11.92 (95% CI: -19.74, -4.10; p_trend = 0.003).

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that higher adherence to a plant-based eating style, as evidenced by higher PDI and hPDI values, was significantly associated with lower headache frequency and serum levels of NO.

Health risk assessment of exposure to triclosan in pregnant women using Monte Carlo simulation techniques: based on biomonitoring data

This study aimed to assess the triclosan (TCS) health risk in an Iranian pregnant women sample by Monte Carlo simulation (MCS). The urinary TCS of 99 women after the 28th week of pregnancy was detected by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry detector (GC/MS), and the MCS model implemented a health risk assessment. The corresponding hazard quotient (HQ) and the sensitivity analysis were calculated. TCS was measured in 100% of the urine samples with a median concentration of 2.89 µg/L. The median of HQ was obtained at 1.93 × 10-4. The TCS exposure risk in the studied population was lower than the allowable limit. A comparison between HQ values in the two weight subgroups of pregnant women showed that the risk level is almost equal, and there was minimal health risk in pregnant women from exposure to TCS.

Health risk assessment of exposure to chlorpyrifos in pregnant women using deterministic and probabilistic approaches

Since chlorpyrifos (CPF), a major organophosphorus pesticide, is widely used for agricultural and domestic purposes, thus, humans may be exposed to these toxic compounds through multiple sources. In recent years, significant concerns have been raised regarding the deleterious effects of exposure to CPF on human health, especially growing fetus. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to evaluate the health risks of exposure to CPF among pregnant women living in Isfahan province, Iran, using deterministic and probabilistic approaches. The urinary concentration of 3, 5, 6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCP), the most common metabolite of CPF, was measured as the biomarker of current exposure to CPF. For this purpose, spot urine samples were taken from 110 pregnant women and the urinary concentrations of TCP were quantified. The estimated daily intake and hazard quotient (HQ) for CPF exposure were measured according to the reference values set by World Health Organization (WHO) and United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) for acute and chronic exposure to CPF. Based on the results, TCP was detected in more than 70% of samples (3.8 ± 2.72 μg/L). The estimated daily intake for some participants was found to be higher than the suggested reference dose by USEPA for chronic exposure to CPF. Furthermore, the HQ>1 was obtained for 20% of the study population in Monte-Carlo analysis using USEPA chronic reference dose, indicating that chronic toxic effects are expected at least for a part of the target population. Based on the findings, proper measures should be taken to reduce the exposure of Iranian pregnant women to CPF and resultant health risks.