{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,7]],"date-time":"2026-01-07T18:28:50Z","timestamp":1767810530421,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":41,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,7]],"date-time":"2026-01-07T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1767744000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Brain Sciences"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Purpose: While migraine is linked to increased cerebrovascular risk, its association with non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) remains underexplored. Methods: We conducted a retrospective case\u2013control study using population-based electronic medical records. NAION patients were compared to propensity score-matched controls regarding migraine prevalence and clinical characteristics. Results: From 2001 to 2022, among 6,566,619 patients, 1629 NAION cases (mean age 67 \u00b1 13 years; 45% female) and 6433 propensity matched controls were identified. The prevalence of migraine was similar in both groups (3.8% vs. 3.3%, p = 0.3). Among migraine patients, those with NAION (n = 62, age 62 \u00b1 11) and controls (n = 212, age 60 \u00b1 11) had comparable baseline characteristics, except for congestive heart failure (9.7% vs. 2.4%, p = 0.027). Within the NAION cohort, migraineurs (n = 64) were younger (62 \u00b1 12 vs. 67 \u00b1 13 years, p &lt; 0.001), and had lower rates of diabetes mellitus (35% vs. 57%, p &lt; 0.001) and peripheral vascular disease (1.6% vs. 9.6%, p = 0.03). Female migraineurs developed NAION at a younger age than females without migraine (60 \u00b1 12 vs. 69 \u00b1 12 years, p &lt; 0.001); no such difference was seen in males. Multinomial logistic regression revealed that migraine was independently associated with younger age at NAION onset, particularly in patients aged &lt;59 (OR = 5.8, p = 0.001) compared with those &gt;70. An independent 1:4 migraine to non-migraine matched cohort (n = 310) showed similar age-dependent trends. Conclusions: While migraine was not more prevalent among NAION patients, females with migraine developed NAION at a younger age and had fewer vascular comorbidities. Congestive heart failure was more prevalent among migraine patients who developed NAION, suggesting a potential contributory role of systemic hypoperfusion.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/brainsci16010082","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,7]],"date-time":"2026-01-07T12:34:21Z","timestamp":1767789261000},"page":"82","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Is Migraine a Risk Factor for Non-Arteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy? Insights from a National Case\u2013Control Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"Itamar","family":"Ben Shitrit","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Joyce & Irving Goldman Medical School, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be\u2019er-Sheva 84101, Israel"},{"name":"Clinical Research Center, Soroka University Medical Center, Be\u2019er-Sheva 84516, Israel"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Eyal","family":"Walter","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, Soroka University Medical Center, Be\u2019er-Sheva 84101, Israel"},{"name":"Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be\u2019er-Sheva 84101, Israel"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9728-9733","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Erel","family":"Domany","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurology and Headache Clinic, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa 31096, Israel"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0000-4340-8565","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nir","family":"Amitai","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Joyce & Irving Goldman Medical School, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be\u2019er-Sheva 84101, Israel"},{"name":"Clinical Research Center, Soroka University Medical Center, Be\u2019er-Sheva 84516, Israel"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0009-8032-0111","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Tomer","family":"Kerman","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Joyce & Irving Goldman Medical School, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be\u2019er-Sheva 84101, Israel"},{"name":"Clinical Research Center, Soroka University Medical Center, Be\u2019er-Sheva 84516, Israel"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Erez","family":"Tsumi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, Soroka University Medical Center, Be\u2019er-Sheva 84101, Israel"},{"name":"Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be\u2019er-Sheva 84101, Israel"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1046-5779","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Assaf","family":"Kratz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, Soroka University Medical Center, Be\u2019er-Sheva 84101, Israel"},{"name":"Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be\u2019er-Sheva 84101, Israel"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Asaf","family":"Honig","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be\u2019er-Sheva 84101, Israel"},{"name":"Department of Neurology, Brain Medicine Division, Soroka University Medical Center, Be\u2019er-Sheva 84516, Israel"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,7]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"208","DOI":"10.1097\/WNO.0000000000000395","article-title":"The 14th Hoyt Lecture: Ischemic Optic Neuropathy: The Evolving Profile, 1966\u20132015","volume":"36","author":"Arnold","year":"2016","journal-title":"J. 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