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Increased Risk: People with migraines are more likely to develop heart attacks, strokes, and thromboses. Two large studies now come to this conclusion. As a result, the risk of such vascular disease in patients is slightly higher than in healthy controls – in comparison, the effect seems to be particularly strong in migraine with aura. There is no reason to worry about these results, as the experts point out. However, treating physicians should at least be aware of the risk.
Migraine causes recurrent attacks of headache
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About one-fifth of women and eight percent of men suffer from migraine. If the victim seeks an attack at home, it triggers a real storm in the head in minutes: paralyzing headaches and nausea often make it impossible to work in everyday life. Relief often only brings rest and a dark room or special medications.
It is clear that headache disease can significantly affect the quality of life of patients. But does this increase the risk of suffering? Recently, several studies seemed to indicate that migraine sufferers are more likely to suffer from heart attacks, strokes and thromboses. Two large studies have now looked more closely at this supposed connection – with a clear result.
More Strokes and Co
Ahmed Mahmoud of the University of Florida at Gainesville and his colleagues evaluated the data for their meta-badysis 16 studies with a total of about 400,000 migraine patients and 750 000 healthy subjects as a control. He showed: The risk of vascular disease actually seems to be increased in those affected.
Specifically, the evaluation found that the combined management of all vascular events – from stroke to heart attack – increased the risk of 42. For stroke alone, the Analysis gave an increase of 41 percent and for heart attacks an increased risk of 23 percent. The risk was unequally distributed among different forms of migraine: one third of patients who had an aura during their attacks – such as visual disturbances such as flashing flashes or visual field defects – had an increased risk of stroke. 56% [19659006] Risk factor aura
There was also a difference in mortality, as reported by scientists. As a result, mortality of all kinds of diseases in migraine patients was not overall higher than in controls. However, this did not apply to migraines with aura: the total mortality of these patients increased by 20%.
Similar results are reported in a study from Denmark, for Kasper Adelborg researchers from the Aarhus University Hospital. in the country over a period up to 19 years compared to those of 500,000 control subjects. But what exactly does this knowledge mean for migraine patients?
No reason to panic
First of all: no reason to panic. "Patients should not be frightened by the increased risk because the absolute number of events is relatively low," says Hans-Christoph Diener of the German Society of Neurology. "Doctors treating migraine patients must be aware of the risk, however."
The particular expert advises to keep a special focus on the people affected by the aura and, most importantly, the women. According to him, this group of patients should be questioned about their vascular risk factors and, if necessary, treated proactively: "Of particular importance are smoking and oral hormonal contraception."
What are the benefits of treatment?
It is still unclear how the increase in risk occurs – and whether consistent treatment of migraine can also reduce the likelihood of vascular events. To prove it, longer-term studies are needed, concludes Charly Gaul of the German Society for Migraine and Headaches. (BMJ Open, 2018, doi: 10.1136 / bmjopen-2017-020498)
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