The Association between Statin Use and Reduced Migraine Likelihood: A Comprehensive Analysis of Migraine Subtypes and Statin Types in a Nationwide Korean Cohort

Abstract

Despite growing interest in the preventive effects of statins, as lipid-lowering agents, on migraine attacks, comprehensive nationwide studies comparing migraine likelihood between statin users and controls are lacking. Our nested case–control study within the Korean National Health Insurance Service-Health Screening Cohort (2002–2019) investigated this association using 38,957 migraine patients and 155,828 controls, considering migraine subtypes (with/without aura) and statin types (lipophilic vs. hydrophilic). Using propensity score matching and adjusting for confounders, statin use was linked to reduced migraine likelihood overall (odds ratio (OR) 0.93), particularly for migraines with aura (OR 0.75) and without aura (OR 0.94). Lipophilic statins were effective for both subtypes, while hydrophilic statins mainly reduced the likelihood of migraines without aura. Subgroup analyses showed consistent benefits across demographics, but varied effectiveness based on weight, smoking, alcohol use, hemoglobin levels, and dyslipidemia history. In summary, this nationwide cohort study suggests that statin use may reduce migraine likelihood among Korean adults across diverse demographics and clinical profiles, but varied effectiveness based on certain lifestyle and comorbidity factors underscores the importance of considering individual patient profiles when assessing the potential benefits of statin therapy for migraine prevention.

Keywords

• lipid-lowering agent
• statins
• lipophilic statin
• hydrophilic statin
• migraine
• nested case–control study