Migraine is often inherited: genetic factors may explain up to 60% of the risk of developing the condition. This was reported to BBC News by Dale Nyholt, a geneticist at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in Australia.

According to him, twin studies show a strong hereditary component to migraine. If parents or grandparents suffered from it, the likelihood of developing this neurological disorder increases significantly.

“Overall, inherited genes account for about 30–60% of migraine cases, while the remaining risk is shaped by external factors — lifestyle, environment, and individual life history,” the scientist summarized.

In 2022, a QUT research team analyzed genetic data from around 100,000 migraine patients and compared it with the DNA of 770,000 people without the diagnosis. As a result, they identified 123 so-called risk loci — small variations in the genetic code statistically associated with migraine.

Researchers are now conducting a larger analysis involving 300,000 patients and expect that many more such genetic markers may be found — possibly in the thousands.

The data already obtained show that some genetic variants linked to migraine overlap with markers of depression and diabetes, and also correlate with the size of certain brain structures. According to Nyholt, the same gene clusters may manifest differently in different individuals, leading to various diseases.

At the same time, the scientist emphasizes that despite progress in identifying genetic associations, specific genes that could be directly used as targets for new migraine treatments have not yet been identified.