Evaluating the Prevalence of Migraine Headache among Patients with Female-Pattern Baldness

Background: According to WHO, migraine is a neurological disorder that has ranked third among the most prevalent medical conditions. Androgenetic alopecia (AGA), on the other hand, is a patterned hair loss disorder due to excessive response to androgens, affecting about half of the world's population. This disorder is presented by progressive hair loss in males and females after puberty, and sex hormones influence both diseases. Methods: A total of 50 women with clinically diagnosed AGA and a mean age of 37.5 referring to dermatology outpatient clinics of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences during 2020 were included in this study. The control group consisted of 50 women of similar age without alopecia. Hair loss was evaluated using the Ludwig classification, and the Persian versions of migraine screen questionnaire (MS_Q) and migraine disability assessment tests (MIDAS) were used to assess migraine among participants. Pain intensity was also measured using the Visual Analog scale (VAS). Results: According to the MS_Q Questionnaire, seven females (14%) in the case group and six females (12%) in the control group had migraines, and no significant correlation was observed between migraine and AGA (P = 0.766). There was no significant correlation between Ludwig score and migraine disability score in the case group with migraine (Spearman correlation coefficient = 0.367, P = 0.419). The only significant positive correlation was between Ludwig score and VAS in the case group with migraine (Spearman correlation coefficient = 0.844, P = 0.017) Conclusions: Based on the results, no significant correlation was found between migraine and AGA.