Premature ventricular complexes and migraine - insights from Holter monitoring during pain-free intervals

Q: What was the study objective regarding migraine and heart rhythm?

To assess the association between migraine and cardiac arrhythmias, focusing on the prevalence of premature ventricular contractions and autonomic dysfunction during pain-free periods.

Q: How was the study conducted and who participated?

Fifty migraine patients and 51 age- and sex-matched healthy controls underwent 24-hour Holter monitoring plus standard electrocardiographic and echocardiographic evaluation.

Q: What were the key findings about PVCs, sinus tachycardia, and QTc?

At least one PVC occurred in 40% of migraine patients without a significant group difference, but sinus tachycardia was more prevalent in migraine. PVC burden correlated with MIDAS severity, while QTc intervals and other major arrhythmic parameters showed no significant differences.

Sep 29, 2026

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Migraine is a common neurological disorder linked to elevated cardiovascular risk, yet the role of autonomic dysfunction during pain-free intervals remains unclear. This observational, cross-sectional study compares premature ventricular contraction (PVC) prevalence and autonomic measures between 50 migraine patients and 51 matched healthy controls using 24-hour Holter monitoring. Migraine patients show higher sinus tachycardia prevalence and a positive correlation between PVC burden and MIDAS scores, while QTc and other major arrhythmic parameters do not differ significantly.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages8

Reading Time20 min

AccessFree to download

Background

Objective

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Introduction

Article published online: 2025-12-08 Original Article 1 Premature ventricular complexes and migraine: insights from Holter monitoring during pain-free intervals Serhat Kesriklioglu 1 Muhammed Fatih Kaleli 1 Yakup Alsancak 1 Aysenur Ince2 Mustafa Altas3 1 Necmettin Erbakan University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Konya, Turkey. 2 Kelkit State Hospital, Department of Neurology, Gumushane, Turkey. 3 Necmettin Erbakan University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurology, Konya, Turkey. Arq. Neuro-Psiquiatr. 2025;83(11):s00451813242 . Address for correspondence Serhat Kesriklioglu (email: [drserhatk@gmail.com](drserhatk@gmail.com)) Abstract Keywords ► Migraine Disorders ► Ventricular Premature Complexes ► Autonomic Nervous System Diseases ► Electrocardiography, Ambulatory ► Tachycardia, Sinus Background Migraine is a common neurological disorder associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular conditions, including arrhythmias. Although autonomic dysfunction is considered a key mechanism linking migraine and cardiac abnormalities, its impact during pain-free intervals remains unclear. Objective To investigate the association between migraine and cardiac arrhythmias, focusing on the prevalence of premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) and autonomic dysfunction during pain-free periods. Methods A total of 50 migraine patients and 51 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were enrolled in the present observational, cross-sectional study. All participants underwent 24-hour Holter monitoring, standard electrocardiographic and echocardiographic evaluation. The frequencies of PVCs, PR interval, QT interval (QTc), heart rate variability, and sinus tachycardia prevalence were compared between groups. Migraine-related disability was assessed using the Migraine Disability Assessment Scale (MIDAS) and the Headache Impact Test-6 (HIT-6) . Results At least 1 PVC was detected in 40% of migraine patients, although no signiﬁcant difference was observed compared with controls (p > 0.05) . However, migraine patients showed a signiﬁcantly higher prevalence of sinus tachycardia (p <0.05) . Additionally, a positive correlation was found between PVC burden and MIDAS scores, suggesting a potential link between migraine severity and arrhythmia risk. No signiﬁcant differences were observed in QTc intervals or other major arrhythmic parameters. Conclusion Migraine patients may exhibit increased sinus tachycardia and subtle electrocardiographic changes even during pain-free intervals, possibly reﬂecting underlying autonomic dysfunction. received March 13, 2025 received in its ﬁnal form August 14, 2025 accepted September 3, 2025 DOI [https://doi.org/](https://doi.org/)[ ](https://doi.org/)10.1055/s-0045-1813242 . ISSN 0004-282X. Editor-in-Chief: Hélio A. G. Teive. Associate Editor: Pedro Augusto Sampaio Rocha Filho. © 2025 . The Author(s) . This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit ([https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)) Thieme Revinter Publicações Ltda. , Rua Rego Freitas, 175, loja 1, República, São Paulo, SP, CEP 01220-010, Brazil 2 Premature ventricular complexes and migraine Kesriklioglu et al. INTRODUCTION Migraine is a prevalent and disabling neurological disorder, affecting> 1 billion people worldwide, with a particularly high prevalence among women <50 years old. It is characterized by recurrent episodes of severe, unilateral headache often accompanied by autonomic symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, photophobia and phonophobia, which can markedly impair daily functioning.1–4 The pathophysiology of migraine is complex and multifactorial, involving genetic, behavioral, and environmental factors. These contribute to altered se

FAQs

What was the study objective regarding migraine and heart rhythm?

To assess the association between migraine and cardiac arrhythmias, focusing on the prevalence of premature ventricular contractions and autonomic dysfunction during pain-free periods.

How was the study conducted and who participated?

Fifty migraine patients and 51 age- and sex-matched healthy controls underwent 24-hour Holter monitoring plus standard electrocardiographic and echocardiographic evaluation.

What were the key findings about PVCs, sinus tachycardia, and QTc?

At least one PVC occurred in 40% of migraine patients without a significant group difference, but sinus tachycardia was more prevalent in migraine. PVC burden correlated with MIDAS severity, while QTc intervals and other major arrhythmic parameters showed no significant differences.

Sep 29, 2026

Upload by Finn