High Vitamin D reduces the risk of headaches by 15% (Mendelian randomization analysis)

New evidence that vitamin D prevents headache: a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis Provisionally accepted

Front. Neurol.Sec. Headache and Neurogenic Pain Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1423569

Haibing Xiong Haibing Xiong 1Ran Jiang Ran Jiang 2Lingzhi Xing Lingzhi Xing 3Jiaojiao Zheng Jiaojiao Zheng 3Xinhong Tian Xinhong Tian 2Jiajie Leng Jiajie Leng 3Xin Guo Xin Guo 1Shi Zeng Shi Zeng 1Haofeng Xiong Haofeng Xiong 1Jianhong Huo Jianhong Huo 1Letai Li Letai Li 2*

1 Banan Hospital affiliated to Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China

2 First Clinical Medical College, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China

3 Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China

Background: Previous observational clinical studies and meta-analyses have yielded inconsistent results regarding the relationship between vitamin D and headache, and the causal relationship remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the causal relationship between vitamin D and headache by bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomisation (MR) analysis.The relationship between high levels of vitamin D and headache was investigated by two-sample MR analysis using publicly available genome-wide association study (GWAS) data.

The primary method was inverse variance weighting (IVW), and secondary methods were weighted median and MR-Egger methods. No heterogeneity or horizontal multidirectionality was found in the MR results. The robustness and validity of the findings were assessed using the leave-behind method.

Results: A significant causal relationship was found between high vitamin D levels and headache using the IVW method ( OR=0.848 ; P=0.007; 95% CI=0.752-0.956). However, in a reverse analysis, no evidence of a causal relationship between headache and high levels of vitamin D was found using the IVW method (OR=1.001; P=0.906; 95% CI=0.994-1.006). Our MR analyses showed no significant horizontal multidimensionality or heterogeneity (P > 0.05). Sensitivity analyses confirmed that MR estimates were not affected by single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Confirmation that our results are robust and valid has been obtained by the leave-one-out method.

Conclusions: Our study suggests that high levels of vitamin D prevent the risk of headache. However, there is no evidence of a causal relationship between headache and high levels of vitamin D. Vitamin D may reduce the risk of headache.

VitaminDWiki – Headache contains

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