Parkinson's Disease Is More Common In Patients Who Also Deal With Migraines

Previous studies have linked migraines to a risk of other health issues, including various cognitive complications that could affect patients throughout life.

Now, recent findings published in the journal Neurology show that migraine sufferers could also be at an increased risk of Parkinson's disease.

"Migraine is the most common brain disorder in both men and women," said lead study author Dr. Ann I. Scher, of the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda and a member of the American Academy of Neurology, in a news release. "It has been linked in other studies to cerebrovascular and heart disease. This new possible association is one more reason research is needed to understand, prevent and treat the condition."

For the study, researchers examined 5,620 people between the ages of 33 and 65 who were followed for 25 years.

The findings showed that participants with migraine and auras were more than twice as likely to be diagnosed with Parkinson's disease than those with no headaches. The study also revealed that a total of 2.4 percent of people with migraine and auras had the disease compared to 1.1 percent of those with no headache.

Furthermore, 19.7 percent of the participants with migraines with aura had symptoms, compared to 12.6 percent of those with migraines compared to those with migraines and no aura and 7.5 percent with no headaches.

Women who suffered from migraines with an aura were also significantly more likely to have a family history of Parkinson's disease than those who did not suffer from headaches.

With future studies, researchers hope to find out more about the health issue and how to combat the problem.