A migraine is a genetic neurological disease, characterized by episodes of moderate to severe headache with or without aura that often includes nausea, vomiting and increased sensitivity to light, sound, etc.

The present study by Maghsoumi-Norouzabad L et. Al. is a systematic review with meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The study aimed to scrutinize the potential and effectiveness of omega-3 fatty acids on the frequency, severity, and duration of migraine attacks.

The study included a search of different databases for controlled clinical trials to be included in this systematic review and meta analyses. After an extensive literature search, 13 trials were extracted, of which 5, 2, and 3 RCTs met the eligibility criteria to evaluate the efficacy of omega-3 fatty acids on the frequency, duration, and severity of migraine attacks, respectively. Risk of biased analysis was assessed by the Jadad scale, and overall estimates of the intervention effect were evaluated from random-effect meta-analysis. Chi-square test (χ2) (Cochran's test (Q test)) and I2 Index was employed to determine the heterogeneity of studies and potential sources of heterogeneity among the trials were investigated by meta-regression analyses

The outcomes showed no effect on frequency of migraine attack by intake of omega-3 intake (WMD=-0.20; 95%CI -0.67, 0.27; P=0.401, and I2=4.6%; P=0.380) and severity (SMD=-0.59; 95%CI -1.85, 0.66; P=0.35, and I2=88.8%; P = 0.000) of migraine but a reduction effect on the duration of migraine attacks (WMD = -3.44; 95%CI -5.70, -1.19; P=0.003, and I2=0.0%; P=0.926).

Therefore, overall it was inferred from the study results that intake of omega-3 fatty acids lead to a significant reduction of approximately 3.44 hours in the duration of a migraine. However, there was no effect on frequency of migraine attacks. There is a need for further randomized controlled trials of high methodological quality with adequate sample sizes to validate the results of the meta-analyses.