Migraine and Stroke Risk in Postmenopause

Migraine, especially migraine with aura, is a well-known risk factor for stroke, particularly in women of younger age and especially with additional risk factors such as smoking. Less is known about the risk of stroke in postmenopausal women with a history of migraine. Now, a study using the large U.S. longitudinal cohort of 130,277 women from the Women’s Health Initiative has evaluated postmenopausal women with a history of migraine and without a stroke diagnosis at baseline, to determine incident total, ischemic, and hemorrhagic stroke subtypes over a 20-year follow-up period.