A large, population-based cohort study has found evidence for an association between migraine and an increased risk of glaucoma.

Previous epidemiological studies on the association between migraine and glaucoma have yielded inconsistent findings, though shared pathophysiological mechanisms are proposed. Both conditions are significant public health concerns.

The authors of the Israeli study, published in the journal Headache, aimed to explore the migraine-glaucoma association, assessing glaucoma prevalence, clinical presentation, and disease severity markers in patients with migraine compared to nonmigraine controls.

The cohort included 83,758 individuals, with more than 30,000 migraine sufferers. Patients with migraine had lower glaucoma diagnosis-free survival (p<0.001) and a 31% higher relative risk of glaucoma diagnosis (adjusted relative risk =1.31; 95% confidence interval, 1.15-1.48; p<0.001).

In the glaucoma subcohort (n=2,306), patients with migraine had earlier and more frequent ophthalmic surveillance (p<0.001). These patients also showed lower use of topical hypotensive medications (p=0.058) and a lower hazard of glaucoma surgery (adjusted hazard ratio =0.66; 95% confidence interval, 0.43-1.00; p=0.047).

The authors concluded that the study provides evidence for an association between migraine and an increased risk of glaucoma.

“Although increased ophthalmologic surveillance among patients with migraine likely contributes to earlier diagnosis and detection of milder cases, shared biological mechanisms may also play a role.

“Furthermore, patients with migraine and glaucoma demonstrated lower medication use and fewer surgical interventions, potentially indicating a less severe disease course,” the study authors wrote.

Reference
1. Bar M, Peles I, Kratz A, et al. The association between migraine and glaucoma diseases: A retrospective cohort study. Headache. 2025 Oct 24. doi: 10.1111/head.15079. Epub ahead of print.