WEDNESDAY, Oct. 28, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- Postmenopausal women using hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may have higher mean incidence, frequency, and duration of migraine, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of The Menopause Society, held from Oct. 20 to 24 in San Diego.
Flavia Fairbanks Ruano, M.D., Ph.D., from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, and colleagues conducted a systematic review to examine the impact of HRT on migraine outcomes, including incidence, severity, frequency, duration, and fluctuations in estrogenic levels. Data were included from five studies, with 23,702 women.
The researchers found that the mean migraine incidence was 18.94 percent in the pooled analysis. There were associations for HRT with increased frequency of migraine attacks (MD, 1.16 attacks/month) and longer duration of migraine episodes (MD, 0.95 days/month). The number of analgesics used per month and migraine severity scores did not differ significantly.
"Because women with migraine may be more likely to seek treatment for menopause symptoms, the findings of this study may reflect underlying differences between women who use hormone therapy and those who do not. More research is needed before drawing conclusions about the effect of hormone therapy on migraine burden," Stephanie Faubion, M.D., medical director for The Menopause Society, said in a statement.
