Migraine is associated with increased risks for numerous cardiovascular outcomes, a study in The BMJ finds.
Using Danish health and population registries, researchers matched 51,000 patients with migraine diagnoses to 510,000 migraine-free individuals (median age, 35). During 19 years’ follow-up, cardiovascular events were significantly more common in the migraine cohort. Here are the incidences per 1000 population in people with migraine versus controls:
- Myocardial infarction: 25 vs. 17
- Ischemic stroke: 45 vs. 25
- Hemorrhagic stroke: 11 vs. 6
- Venous thromboembolism: 27 vs. 18
- Atrial fibrillation or flutter: 47 vs. 34
Associations were stronger for migraine with than without aura.
The researchers write, “Migraine should be considered a potent and persistent risk factor for most cardiovascular diseases in both men and women.”