Many young people who suffer from migraines have vitamin deficiencies, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Headache Society, held from June 9 to 12 in San Diego.

MONDAY, June 13, 2016-- Many young people who suffer from migraines have vitamin deficiencies, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Headache Society, held from June 9 to 12 in San Diego.

The study included children, teens, and young adult migraine patients who were treated at Cincinnati Children's Headache Center. A high percentage of participants had mild deficiencies in vitamin D, riboflavin, and coenzyme Q10, the researchers said.

The researchers found that patients with chronic migraines were more likely to have coenzyme Q10 and riboflavin deficiencies than patients with episodic migraines. In addition, girls and young women were more likely than boys and young men to have coenzyme Q10 deficiencies. Boys and young men were more likely to have vitamin D deficiency. Many of the patients were prescribed preventive migraine medications and received vitamin supplementation if their levels were low. But because too few patients received vitamins alone, it wasn't possible to determine if vitamin supplementation could help prevent migraines, the researchers noted.

"Further studies are needed to elucidate whether vitamin supplementation is effective in migraine patients in general, and whether patients with mild deficiency are more likely to benefit from supplementation," lead author Suzanne Hagler, M.D., of the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, said in a hospital news release.

Many young people who suffer from migraines have vitamin deficiencies, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Headache Society, held from June 9 to 12 in San Diego.