According to a recent research, belly fat might could be linked to more than just heart diseases and diabetes. The new recorded data points out that there is a connection between belly fat and migraines, as the scientists recorded an increased frequency of migranes in these cases.

Apparently, the circumference of the waist is a much better predictor of migraine activity than general obesity, at least for the men and women under the age of 55. The most significant increase in migraine activity was recorded for people with ages between 20 and 55.

The study was conducted by the researchers from Philadelphia’s Drexel University College of Medicine, who examined the data received from more than 22,000 participants in the country’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The body mass index (BMI) was used to get the measurements for the abdominal obesity and also overall obesity.

The information might be of more use to women, as they appear to be three times as likely to suffer from migraines. This is considered a very important aspect of the research, and this will be one of the focus areas for the tests to follow.

"This may be one piece of the puzzle," said researcher B. Lee Peterlin, DO, also adding that "This does not suggest that if you lose your extra abdominal fat it will cure your migraines. But it may be a clue to help explain the sexual dimorphism in migraine."

All of the study’s conclusions will be presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN), which is scheduled to take place in April in Seattle.