WEDNESDAY, June 24, 2009 (Health.com) — Middle-aged and older women who have migraines with auras—the flashing lights, a certain smell, or other sights or sounds that can signal oncoming pain—appear to have a higher risk of strokes and heart attacks than their migraine-free peers, a new study suggests.
What’s more, a second study found that such women are more likely than others their age to have brain infarcts, which are tiny areas of tissue death common in the aging brain. (They don’t necessarily pose any health hazard.)
However, experts caution that the number of women in the study who had strokes or heart attacks was relatively small, and the risk was seen in women who had either the most frequent or least frequent migraines. (For example, once-a-month migraines with auras were not associated with elevated risk.)
“Overall, this is not a study that should scare women with migraines with auras,” says the study’s lead author, Tobias Kurth, MD, ScD, of the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, both in Boston, and INSERM, the French national research institute.
It was already known that migraines with auras are associated with a higher risk of stroke in women under 55, although strokes in young women are so rare that the risk is still very small. However, it wasn’t clear if there was a link in older women or if frequent headaches were more dangerous.
Dr. Kurth says his new research does suggest that frequency plays a role in the risk of migraine-associated stroke and heart attack.
In the first study, published in the journal Neurology, Dr. Kurth and his colleagues looked at 27,798 female health professionals ages 45 and older, including 3,568 who had migraines, from the Women’s Health Study. They found that women with once-a-week-migraines with auras—who made up 5% of the women with migraines—were four times as likely to have had a stroke during the 12-year study as women without migraines.
And women who had migraines with auras less than once a month (75% of the group) were more than twice as likely as migraine-free women to have a heart attack, and almost twice as likely to have had a heart procedure, such as bypass surgery. Overall, only 2.5% of women in the study had experienced a stroke, heart attack, or related problem.
In the second study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Ann I. Scher, PhD, of Uniformed Services University, in Bethesda, Md., and her colleagues interviewed 4,689 Icelandic men and women (with an average age of 51) about their migraine symptoms.
Brain scans conducted more than 26 years later suggested that those who had migraines with auras at least monthly in midlife were more likely to have brain infarcts. Overall, 23% of women with such migraines had the infarcts, compared with 15% of women without them. The infarcts were found in the cerebellum, in the lower back of the brain. About 20% of men had infarcts in the same brain region, regardless of whether they had migraines.
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Comments (15)
I think to overcome migrane & stress, one must seriously think about his or her lifestyle. I’ve found some good points in a site called Health 360 via HealthcareMagic, I was exploring other day.
Don’t worry about things you can’t control, like the weather.
Prepare to the best of your ability for events you know may be stressful, like a job interview.
Try to look at change as a positive challenge, not a threat.
Work to resolve conflicts with other people.
Ask for help from friends, family or professionals.
Set realistic goals at home and at work.
Exercise on a regular basis.
Eat well-balanced meals and get enough sleep.
Meditate.
Get away from your daily stresses with group sports, social events and hobbies.
I am a Cluster Headache sufferer. I would like to know if this study included Cluster Headaches or what If any correlation there is with Cluster Headache sufferers.
I have tried it all- herbs,massage, Verapamil, dont ever drink, one cup of coffee, no other caffiene, Vitamins, Zoming,Maxalt, Topomax, antidepressants, Trixamet, sleep well, food diary, meditation, exercize, quit bad jobs,no daily OTC’s, and now acupuncture. Still have between 15-25 month and Maxalt/Trixamet does stop them. This has went on for 10 years. Only thing wrong with me at 57. Have had long breaks without explanation, then back again. Go figure.
Thought you might find this article to be interesting.
In a picture perfect world with unlimited funds that advice may work. In the real world aleviating stress is not just a matter of meditating and asking for help.
I have been battling migraines for over 20 years. I have seen 14 doctors and tried every class of drug to try and control them. I have seen chiropractors, acupuncturists, massage therapists, nuerologists. I have had injections in my head that were excrutiating. I have done my due dillagence in trying. I still havc severe and frequent ones.
So far, nothing really has helped. Its a hell that I live in. It is not from not trying. I have tried tracking them to foods, stress, what and how I live. Nothing has changed, as I get older they get worse. When I started having them I was extremely fit and active. Now I am not as I have a desk job and am 20 years older. I know that they are trying to come up with treatmets every day. I just have not found the one that works for me.
And now with this story I have more to worry about. Take it in stride I guess. The most frustrating thing is the cost of these treatments. I pay for my own insurance. I was given a perscription for treximet. Even with a $50 off coupon it was still over $100 for 10 pills. Needless to say I did not get them. For people like me there is no answer yet. All we can do is pray there is one day.
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I am very grateful for this article. Here i am suffering from these symptoms and didn’t understand why i had them. I thought something was seriously wrong with me. Maybe it is after reading this. I will follow up with a doctor.
It is easy to lay out ground rules to live by. The hard part is actually sticking to them. How can you tell your body to stop reacting to stress. The body reacts whether we consiously or subconsiously wants it to. I’m 29 and fall into the group of people who have migraines a minimum of 3-4 times a week. I work full time and miss at least one day a week from a migraine. I go to my doctor and neurologist but still get no relief. I go at least once a week to the ER or Express Care for shots for uncontrolable migraines. I hate the shots and have had so many that I still miss days of work because they have no affect. I avoid sunlight because they spark migraines. But I eat well and dance frequently for exercise. I can’t help but stress. Doctors can’t find the cause. Family and friends get tired of hearing that you have migraine. You can’t plan events because you’ll more than likely end up missing them. The job, well let’s face it how quick does 12 weeks add up when you miss at least one day of work a week. It doesn’t really matter I good you are at your job or a person. The support system get worn down when there is no end in sight. Only hopes that you will one day not be debilated.
I’m only adding my two cents worth for information for this website.
I have suffered with migraines since I was 8 yrs old, I just turned 70….that is an awful long time.
I have tried everything there is, believe me, to get releif. The “only” thing that has actually relieved the symptoms is an anti-depressant called Elavil but it has a side effect I don’t like…weight gain. I have always kept my weight under control, so I am not a happy camper at this momemt. The other relief has been Fioricet w/codeine…my life savior. I have taken it for 40 years…and NO, I am not addicted to it as I only use it with a migraine. I keep records of all my migraines and medicines and I was told by a doctor that as long as I keep records of it all, I will never become addicited to the pain killer. The Fioricet has allowed me to have a life; married 50 years; raised 2 children; was employed for 35 years; and now trying to enjoy life in my retirement…but still with help of Fioricet and Elavil. I am happy to see that Migraine research is on-going, maybe one day there WILL be a cure. I pray for all migrainers to “hang in there” and find a doctor who understands those who suffer.
I am curious to know if the study determined for sure if the risks were just from the migraines themselves or were related to various migraine medications that apparently come with cardio-vascular risks themselves?
You didn’t mention males with migraines. Does this study have anything to say about males who suffewr from migraines?
I believe they are referring to CADASIL (Cerebral Autosomal Dominant Arteriopathy with Subcortical Infarcts and Leukoencephalopathies. If you have a family history of migraine with aura, stroke, early cognitive deficits — you should find out if you have it so you can care for yourself as best as possible. Some reports I have read said that the condition could actually account for up to 50% of all diagnosed Multiple Scleroses cases and a significant portion of ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). I have this disease and others in my family do too; many of us have died of it. There are things you can do to help yourself to put off symptoms and stop the migraines but only if you educate yourself because the doctors don’t yet know much about it.
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This study only looked at women – since women tend to get migraines more than men. From what I understand, the study was correlation and observation. It didn’t look at cause and effect of CVD or stroke incidents. This study only looked at migraines – not cluster headaches.
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