MINNEAPOLIS -- December 18, 2014 -- Migraine headache may double the risk of Bell’s palsy, according to a study published in the December 17, 2014, online issue of the journal Neurology.

“This is a very new association between migraine and Bell’s palsy,” said study author Shuu-Jiun Wang, MD, National Yang-Ming University and Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. “Our study also suggests that these 2 conditions may share a common underlying link.”

For the study, 2 groups of 136,704 people aged 18 years and older -- 1 group with migraine and the other without -- were followed for an average of 3 years.

During that time, 671 people in the migraine group and 365 of the non-migraine group were newly diagnosed with Bell’s palsy.

People with migraine were twice as likely to develop Bell’s palsy even after researchers accounted for other factors that could increase the risk of the condition, such as sex, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

“Infection, inflammation or heart and vascular problems could be shared causes for these diseases,” said Dr. Wang. “If a common link is identified and confirmed, more research may lead to better treatments for both conditions.”

SOURCE: American Academy of Neurology