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Study finds link between migraine and heart disease
Despite migraine becoming a very common health condition, especially among youngsters, it has been taken causally by patients. However, with a study that was recently published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) stating that migraine may be associated with a number of cardiovascular diseases, there is an urgent need for people to take it seriously.
By
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Chennai
The study, published earlier in February, said that besides being associated with ischemic stroke and myocardial infarction, migraines can also be associated with risks of venous thromboembolism and atrial fibrillation.
With the profile of migraine patients having shifted from people who were socially disturbed to those suffering from work stress, doctors fear that the incidence will continue to rise. “Migraine has been identified as a chronic headache, known for how painful it is. However, besides the pain, its link to cardiovascular diseases indicate that it is not something to be considered lightly,” said cardiologist Dr K Sundar.
Stressing the need for lifestyle modifications, he said, “Lifestyle changes will help prevent a painful migraine attack. Disturbed sleep patterns, certain kinds of food items, weather changes, drugs or alcohol and cigarette smoke can all trigger an attack and waiting until the attack to get checked would not be the best option.”
“It is important to determine whether prevention strategies in patients with migraine can reduce the burden of cardiovascular diseases,” said one of the researchers.
The study’s findings indicated that migraine should be considered a risk factor for most cardiovascular diseases. The researchers noted that current guidelines do not recommend use of anti-clotting medication such as aspirin for treatment of migraine, but health care providers should consider whether patients at higher risk of heart disease would benefit from anticoagulant treatment.
“Despite the study indicating the link, it is not advisable for patients to take any such medication without a prescription from a specialist. While being aware of such studies is important, the public should also be wary of unnecessary medications,” said Dr Ramakrishna S, a neurologist.
- Around one in five persons suffer from migraine
- Migraine is a chronic, often debilitating disorder
- It involves symptoms such as severe
- headache, nausea and intense sensitivity to light or sound
- Study found that people with a history of migraine may be more prone to develop cardiovascular diseases than those who don’t experience such headaches
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