Overweight people are more likely to have migraine headaches, according to a new study.

Researchers measured the waists of people between the ages of 20 and 55 and calculated their body mass index. They also asked the more than 22,000 subjects about migraines.

People of the same age who had bigger bellies were more likely to have migraines, according to a news release on the work. For example, 37 percent of women who had excess fat in the abdomen reported migraines, compared to 29 percent for those who were slimmer.

The comparisons for men were 20 percent and 16 percent.

"These results, while still in the early stages, suggest that losing weight in the stomach area may be beneficial for younger people who experience migraine and especially so for women," said study author B. Lee Peterlin of Drexel University College of Medicine.

The results will be presented to the American Academy of Neurology in late April.