Ketogenic diet therapy may improve sleep symptoms in migraine patients

1. In this prospective study, preventative therapy with the ketogenic diet (KD) was associated with sleep improvements in migraine patients, including a decrease in patients with insomnia and a reduction in excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS).

2. Furthermore, KD therapy was associated with improvements in migraine symptoms, including reduced frequency and lower intensity headaches.

Evidence Rating Level: 2 (Good)

Migraines are one of the leading causes of disability worldwide and are associated with impaired quality life. Among the many symptoms of migraines, poor sleep is a common complaint of affected individuals. The ketogenic diet (KD), which consists of low carbohydrate intake and increased lipid intake, has been suggested as a possible method for treating migraine symptoms. However, further research is needed to explore this potential therapy. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of KD on sleep symptoms in migraine patients.

Patients (n = 70) were enrolled from January 2020 to July 2022 from a nutritional outpatient clinic in Italy. Patients were included if they were treated with KD as a preventative therapy for migraine control. Due to the impact of many migraine drugs on sleep, patients who were introduced to migraine medication <3 months before KD therapy, or who had a change in drug dosage during the study period, were excluded. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was used to assess sleep quality, and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale was used to evaluate Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS). Patients also completed a headache diary throughout the study period. Information on migraine characteristics and sleep quality was collected prior to KD therapy and 3 months after beginning treatment. The primary outcome was the change in sleep symptoms following KD therapy.

The results demonstrated that KD therapy was associated with improvements in several sleep symptoms in migraine patients. This included a reduction in the number of patients affected by poor sleep, a reduction in EDS, and significant improvements in rates of insomnia among the study participants. KD was also associated with significant improvements in migraine symptoms, including lower intensity migraines, fewer headaches per month, and reduced headache-related disability. However, the study was limited by the small sample size, which may have affected the power and generalizability of the results. Nonetheless, the study demonstrated the potential utility of KD in improving sleep factors and overall headache symptoms in migraine patients.

Click to read the study in Sleep Medicine

Image: PD

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