Introduction

Migraine is a complex neurovascular disorder whose triggers are not entirely understood. Autonomic and endothelial dysfunction might play a role in migraine. Migraine headache (MH) is associated with nausea, vomiting, and uneasiness in the presence of light and sound. It is characterised by multiple episodes of throbbing pain originating in one side of the head.

Aim

This study aims to describe the cardiovascular, autonomic and endothelial functions in patients with migraine and healthy controls.

Material and methods

This study evaluated the cardiovascular autonomic function and endothelial function tests. The study was done on 85 healthy volunteers within the age group of 18 to 55 as a control group and 85 patients with migraines as the study group. The standard autonomic cardiovascular function tests, such as heart rate variability for autonomic tone & for autonomic functions reactivity and standard cardiovascular Ewing tests¹⁴ for both parasympathetic and sympathetic divisions, were performed. Non-invasive assessment of endothelial function was performed by brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD). FMD reflects endothelial-dependent vasodilation mediated mainly by Nitric oxide (NO)

Results

In this study, we found that females were affected more than males. We observed reduced parasympathetic activity in patients with migraine as compared to healthy controls. Flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) is a well-established, non-invasive marker of endothelium-dependent vasodilation, primarily mediated by nitric oxide (NO) release. The significantly reduced FMD percentage observed in migraine patients indicates endothelial dysfunction, despite comparable baseline brachial artery diameters

Discussion

The ANS is strongly influenced by sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions. Flow-mediated dilation (FMD) was significantly reduced in patients with migraine, indicating the presence of endothelial dysfunction. Reduced FMD can be linked to increased cardiovascular risks in patients with migraine.