28 Feb 2023 • In a recent study, researchers discovered that increased levels of the hormone-related peptide calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) during hormonal changes contributes to the explanation of why migraine attacks are more common during menstruation. According to a study published in the journal Neurology, different sex hormone profiles may have an impact on calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) levels in females who now or previously experienced migraine-related menstruation. According to the study, women who had migraine and had a regular menstrual cycle had higher CGRP concentrations during menstruation than women who did not. CGRP blood levels in women with migraine were 5.95 picograms per millilitre (pg/ml), as opposed to 4.61 pg/ml in those without migraine. For tear fluid, those with migraine had 1.20 nanograms per millilitre (ng/ml) compared to 0.4 ng/ml for those without migraine. In contrast, CGRP levels were similar between the migraine and non-migraine groups in female participants who were postmenopausal or taking oral contraceptives. According to study author Bianca Raffaelli, MD, of Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin in Germany, "This heightened amount of CGRP following hormonal variations should assist to explain why migraine attacks are more likely during menstruation and why migraine attacks gradually reduce after menopause."

Source: Medical Dialogues | Read full story