Clinical features and risk factors for irritable bowel syndrome in Migraine patients

Objective: Clinical and basic research increasingly suggests a correlation between migraine and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). In this study, we aimed to explore the clinical features and risk factors for IBS in migraine patients.

Methods: This was a retrospective, cross-sectional study. A total of 1,112 consecutive patients from the internal medicine and emergency departments of three hospitals from June 2014 through 2016. A comprehensive interviewer-administered questionnaire was designed based on the International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3rd edition (beta version).

Results: The response rate was 94.6%. Among 1,052 participants, 287 suffered from migraine (27.3%) and 312 suffered from IBS (29.7%). A total of 79 patients suffered from both migraine and IBS (comorbidity rate: 7.5%). The migraine cohort exhibited a higher frequency of IBS than did the comparison cohort at baseline (P<0.05). Migraine patients with higher headache frequency, longer length of headache history, and anxiety disorders were more likely to also suffer from IBS (P=0.015). There were no significant differences between the two groups in age, sex, family history, duration of headache attack, migraine aura, headache intensity, or depression disorders (P>0.05). Multiple regression analysis indicated length of headache history and headache frequency were associated with IBS.

Conclusion: Migraine patients with a long headache history, recurrent episodic headache attacks, and anxiety were more likely to have IBS.