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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Neurol.
Sec. Headache and Neurogenic Pain
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1431704

Associations between environmental perchlorate, nitrate, and thiocyanate exposure and severe headache or migraine: a crosssectional, population-based analysis

Provisionally accepted
Jiesheng Mao Jiesheng Mao Mi Zhou Mi Zhou Li Yanjun Li Yanjun Yunhan Zhao Yunhan Zhao Haoxiang Hu Haoxiang Hu Xiaokai Yang Xiaokai Yang *
  • Wenzhou People’s Hospital, Wenzhou, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Environmental contaminants may play a significant role in the development of migraine. Perchlorate, nitrate, and thiocyanate were selected for this study due to their known impact on thyroid function, which is closely linked to neurological processes. Disruptions in thyroid function have been associated with various neurological disorders, including migraines. However, there is currently no evidence linking exposure to these specific chemicals perchlorate, nitrate, or thiocyanate exposure to migraine. The study aims to evaluate the association between urinary concentrations of perchlorate, nitrate, and thiocyanate with the prevalence of severe headache or migraine in U.S. adults.A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2001-2004. Utilizing electrospray tandem mass spectrometry in conjunction with ion chromatography, urinary concentrations of perchlorate, nitrate, and thiocyanate urine were measured. Multiple logistic regression models were employed to evaluate the linear correlation between perchlorate, nitrate, and thiocyanate exposure and severe headache or migraine. The non-linear relationship is described analytically using a fitted smoothing curve and a twopiecewise regression model. Subgroup analyses were used to further clarify the stability of this relationship across different populations.Results: There were 1,446 participants in this population-based study, ranging in age from 20 to 85. After adjusting for potential confounding variables, the multiple logistic regression findings demonstrated that thiocyanate was significantly positively associated with the prevalencerisk of migraine (odds ratio [OR] = 1.18; [1.06, 1.30]; p < 0.001). There was consistency in this connection across different subgroups (p for interaction > 0.05). Furthermore, there was a non-linear correlation between urinary thiocyanate and migraine. Using a fitted smoothing curve and a two-piecewise regression model, it was found that the correlation between urinary thiocyanate and migraine was Ushaped (p for Log-likelihood ratio = 0.002). According to the findings of the multiple regression analysis, there was no significant correlation between urinary perchlorate and nitrate and migraine (both p > 0.05).

    Keywords: Cross-sectional study, Perchlorate, nitrate, thiocyanate, Migraine, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

    Received: 12 May 2024; Accepted: 05 Sep 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Mao, Zhou, Yanjun, Zhao, Hu and Yang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Xiaokai Yang, Wenzhou People’s Hospital, Wenzhou, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.