Are Migraine Sufferers at Increased Risk for CV Events?

An association between migraines and stroke has been established, particularly for migraine with aura. Typically visual in nature, aura is a transient sensory event (e.g., the presence of zigzag lines across the visual field) occurring within 5–60 minutes prior to the onset of headache. In general, the risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in migraine sufferers has only been suggested. This study assessed the relation between migraine and incident CVD in 27,840 apparently healthy women age ≥45 who had enrolled in the Women’s Health Study.

At baseline, 5125 women reported ever having a migraine; 3610 reported migraines within the previous year, and 1434 of those had migraine with aura. Women reporting migraine with aura within the past year h…