Women Suffering From Migraines May Be At Risk Of Cardiovascular Diseases

Migraines are episodes that can affect both males and females but a large study published in the BMJ claims that women may be a high risk of cardiovascular diseases or even death if they are not properly addressed.

Researchers pointed out that women suffering from migraines were at greater risk of potential heart attacks or angina which may eventually lead to them resorting to undergo heart-related procedures. That includes coronary artery bypass or grafting when compared against women who do not have bouts with severe headaches.

More to that, worst case scenarios in the study including women possibly dying of heart-related issues as well, something that could raise the alarm on women who may be frequently hit by migraines.

"This study provides really good quality evidence that migraine in women is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease," said Dr. Rebecca Burch, an instructor in the department of neurology at Harvard Medical School in Boston .

Migraine has been tied up with symptoms that include dizziness or ringing in the ears (referred to as an aura) which may lead to an increased risk of developing both ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes.

As far as the current study is concerned, a team composed of US and German researchers were behind the large study. Data from 115, 541 women enrolled in the Nurses Health Study II aged 25-42. All did not have angina or cardiovascular disease.

The researchers kept a close watch on the women from 1989-2011 for cardiovascular events, disease and mortality. They eventually found 1,329 cardiovascular-related events and 223 of the female participants succumbed to cardiovascular disease.

As far as linking migraine to the results on women, the report showed how such had greater risk for major cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks, strokes and coronary revascularization procedures, including cardiovascular mortality.

"Given the high prevalence of migraine in the general population, an urgent need exists to understand the biological processes involved and to provide preventive solutions for patients," bared the authors behind the study.

Editorialists Rebecca Burch and Melissa Rayhill believe that it may be time to add migraine to the list of early life medical conditions, something that could be early markers for cardiovascular risk that may occur later on life.

Despite these findings, more research may be needed to determine possible causes, not to mention determining if treatments to prevent migraines can help reduce the risks.