Men who suffer migraines have higher oestrogen levels

Men who suffer from migraine have higher levels of the female sex hormone oestrogen, according to research.

While it is known that oestrogen plays a role in migraine for women, a study shows it may also affect men.

The same men who suffer migraines also have more symptoms associated with low levels of testosterone, the male sex hormone, such as erection problems and lower energy.

Women of child-bearing age are three times more likely to get migraines than men, and this research suggests the hormone could be to blame in both sexes. 

Scientists from Leiden University in the Netherlands say more research needs to be done into the effects oestrogen has on men.

Men who suffer migraines also report struggling with the symptoms of testosterone deficiency more than others, even if their testosterone levels are the same, the study found

Migraine is usually a severe headache and can also cause vomiting or sensitivity to lights and sounds. 

It is common and affects around a fifth of women but just one in every 15 men. 

The study by Dutch researchers suggest levels of oestrogen – which are naturally much higher in women – may be responsible for this.

But the discovery does not get men off the hook because they also produce the hormone.

Men with relatively more oestrogen suffer more migraines 

Researchers found the men with a lower ratio of male to female sex hormones – those with higher oestrogen levels but the same testosterone as their counterparts – are more likely to suffer migraine.

WHY MEN NEED FEMALE HORMONES, TOO 

Although testosterone is main male sex hormone, men’s bodies convert some of it into oestrogen.

As well as being crucial for the female reproductive system, the hormone is also useful for maintaining the health of the brain, liver, heart, bones and muscles, and the skin.

Research by Massachusetts General Hospital in 2013 revealed men need oestrogen for a healthy sex drive and to avoid obesity.

A study found men who have too little oestrogen in their body can put on weight and lose their sex drive in what has been dubbed the ‘male menopause.’

Dr Joel Finkelstein said: ‘A lot of things we think are due to testosterone deficiency are actually related to the oestrogen deficiency that accompanies it.’

After 16 weeks of observing men who were given drugs to change their hormonal balance, researchers saw that muscle size and strength depended on testosterone, body-fat mass depended on oestrogen, and both hormones were needed to maintain normal sex drive and performance. 

These men also report having more frequent and severe problems with their moods, energy levels and sexual function – which are symptoms of low testosterone – even if their testosterone levels are normal.

Study author, Dr Ron van Oosterhout said: ‘Previous research has found that levels of oestrogen can influence when women have migraines and how severe they are.

‘But little is known about whether sex hormones also affect migraine in men.

‘Our research found increased levels of oestrogen in men with migraine, as well as symptoms of lower levels of testosterone.’

How the research was carried out 

The study involved 17 men with an average age of 47 who had a migraine an average of three times a month. 

None were taking medication known to affect hormone levels. 

They were compared to 22 men who don’t have migraine. All the participants were a healthy weight and had similar ages and height-to-weight ratios.

The researchers measured the levels of oestradiol, a type of oestrogen, and testosterone in four blood samples from each participant taken three hours apart.

For those with migraine, the first blood samples were taken on a non-migraine day and then each day thereafter until the man had a migraine.

Men who have migraines but weren’t sufffering them at the time had 41 per cent higher levels of oestrogen than men without migraine.

Higher oestrogen produces symptoms similar to low testosterone 

Testosterone levels were similar for both groups, which means the ratio of the hormones was lower in the migraine group.  

The participants were also asked about symptoms that may indicate a deficiency in testosterone – such as mood, energy and sexual disorders.

Researchers found men with migraine reported these symptoms more than twice as often (61 per cent against 27 per cent) and they were more often severe. 

Dr van Oosterhout added: ‘Further studies are needed in larger populations to validate our findings.

‘The exact role of oestrogen in men with migraine, and whether fluctuations in oestrogen may be associated with migraine activity, like they are in women, needs to be fully investigated.’ 

The teams findings were published by the journal Neurology.

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