http://goo.gl/Ee6jgQ
For the study, the researchers performed neurological examinations on a group of 52 women who had been diagnosed with episodic migraine, experiencing an average of 5.6 headache days per month. Alongside them, the researchers also examined 36 women as control participants who did not have headaches.
The researchers measured the body mass index (BMI) of each participant and took samples of their blood. The blood samples were analyzed for a specific group of lipids known as ceramides that have been previously identified as a group that helps regulate inflammation in the brain.
Among the women with episodic migraine, the researchers found that total levels of ceramides were decreased in comparison with the women who did not report having headaches.
On average, those with episodic migraines had around 6,000 nanograms per milliliter of total ceramides in their blood, compared with around 10,500 nanograms per milliliter in the blood of the control participants.
As total ceramide levels increased, the total risk of developing a migraine decreased. The researchers also found that two other lipids were linked to an increased risk of migraine. These lipids belonged to a type called sphingomyelin.