Is migraine hereditary?
Explore the genetic variants associated with migraine — one of the most common neurological conditions, with a clear hereditary component.
Migraine is more than a headache — a neurological condition with attack-like pain, light and sound sensitivity, and often nausea. Twin studies and GWAS show a clear hereditary component: the risk of migraine is elevated when close relatives have it.
What the analysis shows
DNAHelper shows which migraine-related variants your raw file contains and what research has linked them to. The result is an association — not a diagnosis or a prediction of future attacks. The analysis is based on the traits migraine disorder, migraine without aura (299 associated variants, strong evidence strength).
Which variants matter
Migraine is polygenic — large GWAS have identified over a hundred loci associated with migraine, many near genes involved in nervous-system excitability, vascular function and pain regulation. Each variant contributes only marginally.
Most loci are linked to migraine overall; a smaller subset appears to distinguish migraine with aura from migraine without aura. Single rare variants can confer strongly elevated risk, but common variants dominate the heritability picture.
What research has actually found
Genome-wide studies totalling hundreds of thousands of migraine cases have replicated the links. First-degree relatives of migraineurs have roughly double the risk — heritability is estimated at around 30–50 percent depending on the study.
Yet the associations explain only part of who actually gets attacks. Most of what separates people with migraine is not genetic.
What matters more than genes
Triggers such as irregular sleep, stress cycles, fasting, hormonal fluctuations and certain foods are strongly documented attack drivers. Identifying and managing them — ideally with a headache diary — has more practical effect than the variants.
For recurrent or severe attacks, medical assessment is the way forward — effective preventive and acute treatments exist that do not depend on genetic variants.
What the result means — and does not mean
The analysis is based on the traits migraine disorder, migraine without aura (strong evidence strength). Associations are statistical — they describe populations, not destinies. Read how we grade evidence in our methodology.
Privacy: your file never leaves the browser
You pick your raw file locally — it is parsed and analysed entirely in your browser and is not uploaded for the standard analysis. The only exception is the optional DNA Chat feature where you, after explicit consent, can share selected variants. Read the privacy policy · What happens to your DNA file?
Compatible raw files
Works with raw data exports from MyHeritage, 23andMe, AncestryDNA and FamilyTreeDNA (.txt, .csv, .zip). The download guides show exactly where to find the file at your provider — and the file formats are explained here.
Also read: Method & science · All analyses · All traits · Sleep and genetics