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Migraine May Raise Heart Risks

(February 12, 2010) - As if having migraines (Read about "Migraine Headaches") wasn't bad enough, a new study says migraine sufferers have a greater risk of other health issues including heart disease. (Read about "Coronary Heart Disease") People with migraine may be at an increased risk of heart attack and other risk factors (Read about "Heart Attack" "Heart Risks") for heart disease, according to a study published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

"While the overall risk of heart problems in people with migraine is small, these findings are consistent with other studies showing people with migraine are more likely to suffer from diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol ((Read about "Diabetes" "Hypertension: High Blood Pressure" "Cholesterol"), which are risk factors for heart disease," said study author Marcelo E. Bigal, MD, PhD.

The study involved 6,102 people with migraine and 5,243 people without migraine. Participants answered questions about headaches, treatment, general health and any diagnosed heart problems.

The study found that people who had migraines were about twice as likely to have a heart attack compared to people without migraines, or 4.1 percent of people with migraine compared to 1.9 percent of those without migraine. The risk was nearly three times greater for people who experienced migraine with aura, or sensations such as seeing flashing lights that come before the migraine headache, compared to people without migraines.

"Our results provide another reason for people with migraine to reduce other risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure and obesity," Bigal said. (Read about "Obesity")

The study also found that people with migraine with aura were one and half times more likely to have diabetes and high cholesterol compared to people without migraine.