Takeaway
- Migraine patients are significantly more likely to have dry eye disease (DED) than the general population.
- The association between DED and migraines was highest in men aged 55-64 years and women of all ages.
Why this matters
- Although there may not be a causal relationship between the 2 conditions, clinicians should be alert to signs of DED in patients with migraine.
Study design
- This retrospective case-control study evaluated 72,969 patients (>18 years) from University of North Carolina-affiliated health care facilities between May 2008 and May 2018.
- Funding: None disclosed.
Key results
- Of included patients, 7.3% had a diagnosis of migraine headache, whereas 13.2% had a DED diagnosis.
- After adjusting for age and sex, chances of DED were higher in patients with migraine vs those without (aOR, 1.72; 95% CI, 1.60-1.85).
- Higher risk for DED in patients with migraine diagnosis remained after excluding individuals with confounding factors (aOR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.20-1.68).
- Association between DED and migraines was highest in men aged 55-64 years (aOR, 1.80; 95% CI, 1.31-2.50) and women of all ages (aORs ranged between 1.44 and 2.10).
Limitations
- Limited generalizability.
- Existence of a temporal association between migraine headache and DED could not be established.
Coauthored with Antara Ghosh, PhD
References
References