Major deviations from daily routine linked to increased risk of migraine attack within 24 hours

CHICAGO, IL – A study suggests that “any major disruption to a person’s daily routine – called a ‘surprisal’ event – is strongly linked to a higher risk of a migraine attack within the next 12 to 24 hours.”

For example, “too much food or drink, staying up late, a stressful incident, unexpected good or bad news or a severe mood swing could pose a ‘surprise’ to the body, setting it up for a next-day migraine, researchers said.” Overall, study results showed that “a high surprisal event increased a patient’s risk of migraine by 56% within 12 hours and by 88% within 24 hours, after controlling for other factors and differences between people.”

The study was published in JAMA Network Open.

Media Release/AMA Morning Rounds