Is there a connection between high cholesterol and migraine? While there is no 100% agreement on this correlation, there are some studies that suggest there might be some connection. Since elevated cholesterol and dyslipidemia (improper levels and relationships of several blood fats) are often part of more complex disorders, like metabolic syndrome, it can be difficult to isolate out cholesterol levels as an association with migraine.

In one study, the highest association found between elevated cholesterol and migraine was in women with a history of migraine, but not with active headaches. This is possibly due to advancing age. In another study of migraine sufferers who were age 50 and older, an association was found between LDL-C (“bad cholesterol”) and triglycerides. Triglycerides continued to rise with advancing age in men with migraine.

1. Monastero R, Pipia C, Cefalù AB, et al. Association between plasma lipid levels and migraine in subjects aged ≥50 years: preliminary data from the Zabùt Aging Project. Neurol Sci. 2008;29(S1):179-181
2. Kurth, T, et al. American Academy of Neurology 59th Annual Meeting: Session S05.001. Presesnted May 1, 2007.