Association between Psoriasis and Migraine in a Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study in Korea

Purpose: Psoriasis and migraine are common chronic disorders that may share neuroimmune mechanisms, although the biological basis of their association remains uncertain. This study investigated the association between psoriasis and migraine, focusing on psoriasis severity and migraine subtypes, using a large population-based database.Methods: This population-based cross-sectional study used data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service database. We identified 329,363 adults who underwent national health screening in 2019, including 8,892 patients with psoriasis and 320,471 individuals without psoriasis. Psoriasis severity was classified according to the use of systemic or biologic agents, and migraine was categorized according to the presence of aura. Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed with adjustment for age, sex, comorbidities, body mass index, smoking status, alcohol consumption, income, and residential area.Results: In the fully adjusted model, patients with psoriasis had higher odds of prevalent migraine than individuals without psoriasis (odds ratio [OR], 1.172; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.102–1.246). This association was observed in both mild psoriasis (OR, 1.167) and moderate-to-severe psoriasis (OR, 1.190). Psoriasis was also significantly associated with non-aura-coded migraine (OR, 1.171; 95% CI, 1.100–1.246), whereas migraine with aura was not significantly associated with psoriasis.Conclusion: Psoriasis was cross-sectionally associated with higher odds of prevalent migraine, including non-aura-coded migraine, after adjustment for measured demographic, clinical, and lifestyle factors. Longitudinal studies are needed to determine temporality and address potential detection bias related to healthcare utilization.