Migraine Headaches Associated With Higher Risk of Heart Attack and Stoke

Women more so than men who experience migraines are at a higher risk for early heart attacks and strokes. Danish researchers reviewed the health records of 179,680 women and also 40,757 men over a 22 year period.

Their data revealed that women with migraine had a 22% higher risk of heart attacks, a 21% higher risk of strokes due to blocked arteries, so-called ischemic stroke, and a 13% higher risk of strokes due to brain bleeds. The men in the study had a 17% higher risk for heart attack and a 23% higher risk for ischemic stroke but at no higher risk for hemorrhagic strokes.

Bottom line: Those experiencing migraines and the medical teams caring for them should be on alert for signs of impending cardiovascular disease including heart attack and stroke. Migraine headaches occur more frequently in women than men, so, ladies, be especially alert to impeding problems.

https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1004238

#migraines #heartattack #stroke #womenshealth #menshealth