Migraines: Could This Increase Your Stroke Risk?

New findings published in the journal Neurology reveal that older smokers who also experience migraines may be at an increased stroke risk.

"Our findings may provide more evidence as to why quitting smoking is important for people who experience migraine," researcher Teshamae Monteith said in a statement. "While this investigation of migraine and vascular events in older people found that only smokers with migraine have an increased risk of stroke, earlier studies have shown that women younger than 45 who have migraine with aura are also at an increased risk of stroke, whether or not they smoke."

For the study, researchers analyzed data from 1,292 people who participated in the Northern Manhattan Study. They were an average age of 68 and reported migraines were followed for an average of 11 years to see who developed heart attacks or stroke.

At the end of the study, findings revealed that 187 had migraines without auras while 75 had migraines with them and during the study, a total of 294 strokes, heart attacks and deaths occurred.

Yet they did not find an association between migraines with or without aura and the risk of either stroke or heart attacks. However, among smokers, migraines were associated with a 3-fold increased risk of stroke. Yet for smokers, migraines were not associated with the same risk. 

"Statistically, we could not rule out the possibility that the relationship between migraine and stroke in smokers was due to chance, however, we believe the association is consistent with other studies," Monteith concluded.

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