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Migraine

Migraine Ups Risk of Silent Stroke

People with a history of migraine headaches have double the odds of a silent stroke as compared to those who do not have migraines, according to a new study.

Silent brain infarction, or silent strokes, are caused by a blood clot interrupting blood flow to the brain tissue and are a risk factor for future strokes.
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While the risk is considered small, “those with migraine and vascular risk factors may want to pay even greater attention to lifestyle changes that can reduce stroke risk, such as exercising and eating a low-fat diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables,” said Teshamae Monteith, MD, lead author of the study and assistant professor of clinical neurology and chief of the Headache Division at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

In a study of 546 participants, researchers looked at imaging and migraine data to compare odds of subclinical brain infarction between those who report migraines versus those who do not.

Researchers noted:

  • Migraines seem to be an important stroke factor for younger individuals as well as much older populations.
  • Race and ethnic differences did not play a factor.
  • There was no association between white matter hyperintensity volume and migraine that has been seen in other studies. Researchers noted that the difference might not have been detected due to the high burden of other cardiovascular risk factors in the older cohort.
  • High blood pressure was more common in those with migraines, but the association between migraines and silent brain infarction was also found in patients with normal blood pressure.
  • Migraines with aura—changes in vision or other senses preceding the headache—wasn’t common with the participants and did not have an association with silent brain infarction.         

–Pooja Shah

References:

Monteith T, Gardner H, Rundek T, et al. Migraine, white matter hyperintensities, and subclinical infraction in a diverse community: The Northern Manhanttan Study. Stroke. 2014 May 15 [epub ahead of print] http://stroke.ahajournals.org/content/early/2014/05/15/STROKEAHA.114.005447.full.pdf+html. Accessed May 16, 2014.

American Heart Association. Older migraine sufferers may have more silent brain injury [press release]. 2014 May 15. http://newsroom.heart.org/news/older-migraine-sufferers-may-have-more-silent-brain-injury. Accessed May 16, 2014.