2023-06-19 08:30:04
And women also run a higher risk of heart attack and cerebral hemorrhage.
Migraine is not just an annoying headache. It is a neurovascular disease, in which patients suffer from violent attacks. Some people suffer from it all their lives. And if that wasn’t bad enough, a new study now shows that people who regularly suffer from migraines are also more likely to suffer from several other dire conditions.
More about migraines
Migraine is a headache that can last for several days. In principle, anyone can get a migraine attack from time to time. However, you are only a migraine patient if you regularly suffer from these attacks. The main characteristic of migraine is that there is a certain pattern with different peaks. The pain is throbbing, usually on one side of the head. Often there is also nausea and vomiting. Shortly before the attack, glare, flashes or wavy images can sometimes be seen. In 2021, approximately 283,800 people with migraine were known to their GP. That same year, about 123,300 new cases were added. We also know that women generally suffer from migraines more often than men. About 17 percent of women are affected, compared to 8.6 percent of men. This probably has to do with female sex hormones and in particular fluctuations in estrogens.
The research team studied the medical records of people living in Denmark between the ages of 18 and 60. The data was collected between 1996 and 2018. The researchers identified men and women with migraines based on their prescription drug records. They then compared their risk of stroke and heart attack with people who do not suffer from migraines.
Cerebral infarction
The analysis shows that both men and women who regularly suffer from migraines have an increased risk of an ischemic stroke, also known as a cerebral infarction. In this case, a blood clot blocks a blood vessel to the brain, depriving part of the brain of blood supply. Brain cells are then no longer supplied with oxygen and nutrients (ischemia). Those cells then die.
Not just women, men too
This noted connection between migraine and stroke is not entirely new. “Decades of research have shown this relationship,” researcher Cecilia Hvitfeldt Fuglsang tells in an interview. Scientias.nl. “However, previous studies have suggested that the increased risk is mainly, if not exclusively, related to young women. But we are now showing that men with migraine are also more likely to have a cerebral infarction.”
Statement
A pressing question is, of course, why people who already suffer from migraines also experience an additional setback. “There are many theories going around, but research has not yet led to a clear answer,” says Hvitfeldt Fuglsang. “Perhaps the connection can be explained by shared genes. Another possibility is that stroke risk factors are more common in people with migraines. But as I said, we don’t know for sure.”
Heart attack and cerebral hemorrhage
In addition, women with migraine get off even worse. For example, it appears that women also run a slightly higher risk of a heart attack and cerebral hemorrhage (when a blood vessel in the brain bursts open). Why this only applies to women (and therefore not to men) remains shrouded in mystery for the time being. “One theory is that it is related to sex hormones,” explains Hvitfeldt Fuglsang. “We know that sex hormones influence the risk of a migraine attack in women. And we also know that sex hormones influence the risk of a heart attack or stroke. But as I said, this is just a theory.”
Increased chance
Since strokes and heart attacks can lead to lifelong disability or even death, the researchers emphasize that identifying those at increased risk is essential to enable targeted preventive therapies. It is therefore important that people with migraines are more likely to develop these conditions. Although we don’t have to be afraid of it right away. “Having said that, it is also important to note that the increased risk is low in absolute terms,” reassures Hvitfeldt Fuglsang.
Prevent
Unfortunately, there is little people with migraines can do to avoid having a stroke or heart attack. That will have to be further investigated. “What we do know is that smoking can be very harmful to them,” says Hvitfeldt Fuglsang. “Therefore, a healthy lifestyle, including smoking cessation, is strongly recommended as always.”
The findings suggest that people with migraines should at least be aware of their increased risk of life-threatening conditions. Then it’s back to science. “I hope this research will lead to more studies on how we can reduce their risk of stroke and heart attack,” concludes Hvitfeldt Fuglsang.
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