Vitamin D status in children with headache: A case-control study. (February 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Donmez, A.; Orun, E.; Sonmez, F.M.
• Is Part Of: Clinical nutrition ESPEN. Volume 23(2018)
• Page Start: 222
• Page End: 227
• Publication Date: 2018-02
• Subjects: Headache -- Vitamin D deficiency -- Children; Nutritionally induced diseases -- Periodicals; Metabolism -- Disorders -- Periodicals; 616.39005
• DOI: 10.1016/j.clnesp.2017.09.010
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2405-4577

Abstract

Summary: Background: Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin with hormonal properties, plays crucial functions in bone and mineral metabolism and has important regulatory functions in brain development, cell differentiation and apoptosis. Some studies have shown a link between vitamin D deficiency and headache. Material and methods: In this study, 147 patients with headache (migraine or either tension-type headache (TTH)) and 69 healthy controls, aged 5 to 16 years, were evaluated. Each group was also divided into two separate sub-groups based on presentation to the clinic in either high solar-exposure (HSE) and low solar-exposure (LSE).We retrospectively evaluated the levels of calcium, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase, parathyroid hormone, and 25-OH vitamin-D3 . Levels below 20 ng/ml were described as vitamin D deficiency and levels of 2030 ng/ml as vitamin D insufficiency. Results: The levels of 25-OH vitamin-D3 were statistically significantly lower when compared to the control group (17.1±9.4 vs. 25.8 ± 12.8 ng/mL, respectively; p < 0.001). This held true for both the HSE and LSE group compared to the control group (for the group 1; 24.6 ± 11.8 vs. 32.1 ± 10.6 ng/mL, respectively; p = 0.007, and for the group 2; 14.5 ± 6.8 vs. 19.6 ± 13.5 ng/mL, respectively; p = 0.003). Also in headache subgroups (migraine and TTH), vitamin D levels were significantly lower than the control group (17.3 ± 9.0, 16.9 ± 9.9 and 25.8 ± 12.8 ng/mL respectively; p < 0.001). Conclusion: There may be a relationship between vitamin D deficiency and headache, with particular significance in LSE. We suggest that this conclusion needs to be supported with randomised clinical studies containing a larger numbers of samples and controls.