Silver Lining for Women with Migraines?

Several observations suggest links between ovarian steroid levels and migraine headaches: Migraine is two to three times more prevalent in women than in men; most women with migraines report more headaches during menses; and migraine frequency drops during pregnancy, which is associated with sustained elevated estrogen levels. Given that estrogen exposure is associated with breast cancer risk, researchers analyzed combined data from two population-based, case-control studies in postmenopausal women (age range, 55–79) to assess the association between migraine and risk for invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) and invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC). More than 91% of participants were white. Case patients (1199 IDC and 739 ILC) were asked whether the…