MigraineMind research summary
Menopausal hormone therapy, migraine history, and headache severity: Results from the Women's Health Initiative Hormone Therapy clinical trials.
Headache | 2026
Clinical trialSummary
This study explored how menopausal hormone therapy affects headache severity in women. Researchers focused on 22,876 postmenopausal women in the Women's Health Initiative trials. They compared the effects of estrogen-only (E-only) and estrogen plus progestin (E+P) therapies to a placebo. At baseline, 10% of participants had a lifetime migraine diagnosis. Among those with migraines, E-only MHT did not increase headache severity after one year. However, E+P MHT was linked to more severe headaches, but results were not statistically significant. E+P MHT also showed a significant association with worsening headache trajectory. For women without a migraine history, E-only MHT did not strongly affect headache severity or trajectory. In contrast, E+P MHT was associated with slight increases in both moderate-to-severe headache severity and worsening trajectory. This study suggests that E-only MHT is safe for migraine history, but E+P may worsen headaches. Clinical relevance: This research indicates that E-only MHT is safe for women with migraine, while E+P may worsen headache severity.
Key Learning Points
- Women with a history of migraines can consider estrogen-only hormone therapy without fear of worsening headache severity.
- Estrogen plus progestin therapy may lead to more severe headaches, although the results were not statistically significant.
- For women without a migraine history, estrogen-only therapy does not significantly impact headache severity.
- Estrogen plus progestin therapy is associated with a slight increase in moderate-to-severe headache severity.
- The study highlights the importance of choosing the right hormone therapy based on individual headache history.
Original research
Read the original publication and review its full methods and findings on PubMed.
MigraineMind is an educational resource designed to complement—not replace—the original scientific literature or clinical judgement. This page is an AI-generated summary of the available paper information and may contain errors. Please consult the original publication.