Scientists from Aarhus University found that people with migraine may have an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. The research was published in the journal PLOS Medicine.
Migraine is a type of headache characterized by a throbbing sensation, usually on one side. Women are three times more likely to suffer from this condition than men. Although scientists aren’t sure exactly what causes this type of headache, some believe that narrowing of blood vessels or inflammation in the brain plays a role. Additionally, recent research suggests that migraines are associated with genes that affect circadian rhythms.
Researchers analyzed data from 179,680 women and 40,757 men with migraine, ages 18 to 60, between 1996 and 2018. Compared with people without migraines, both men and women with migraines had a higher risk of ischemic stroke and heart attack. There was also a higher risk of hemorrhagic stroke and heart attack in women compared with men.
While a hemorrhagic stroke occurs as a result of bleeding in the brain, an ischemic stroke occurs when a blood clot blocks blood flow to the brain.
Scientists emphasized that they examined the increase in relative risk, but the absolute risk generally remained small. However, given that migraine is much more common in women, it is thought that this type of headache may be associated with an increase in the incidence of stroke and heart attack in women.
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