Migraine with aura increases incidence of heart diseases in women

Women who have migraine with aura have higher incidence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), states a study. The risk of CVD is known to increase in patients who report migraine with aura compared with migraine without aura and no migraine. But, the absolute contribution of migraine with aura to CVD incidence remains unclear.

The present study estimated the incidence of CVD for women with migraine with aura relative to women with other major vascular risk factors.

The study was published in the journal JAMA, 2020.

Included in the study, were the female health professionals in the US who belonged to the Women's Health Study cohort with lipid measurements and no CVD at baseline. They were followed up from 1992-95 through December 31, 2018.

The key point of measurement in the study was Self-reported migraine with aura compared with migraine without aura or no migraine at baseline. The primary outcome was major CVD either as first myocardial infarction, stroke, or CVD death. Generalized modeling procedures were used to calculate multi-variable-adjusted incidence rates for major CVD events by risk factor status that included all women in the cohort.

From the study the researchers found the following:

• About 27,858 women with mean age + SD of 54.7±7.1 yrs participated in the study.

• Among them 1435 (5.2%) had migraine with aura.

• 2177 [7.8%] had migraine without aura.

• 24 246 [87.0%] had no migraine in the year prior to baseline.

• During a mean follow-up of 22.6 years (629 353 person-years), 1666 major CVD events occurred.

• The adjusted incidence rate of major CVD per 1000 person-years was 3.36 for women with migraine with aura vs 2.11 for women with migraine without aura or no migraine (P < .001).

• The incidence rate for women with migraine with aura was significantly higher than the adjusted incidence rate among women with obesity (2.29), high triglycerides (2.67), or low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (2.63), but was not significantly different from the rates among those with elevated systolic blood pressure (3.78), high total cholesterol (2.85), or family history of myocardial infarction (2.71).

• Incidence rates among women with diabetes (5.76) or who currently smoked (4.29) were significantly higher than those with migraine with aura.

• The incremental increase in the incidence rate for migraine with aura ranged from 1.01 additional cases per 1000 person-years when added to obesity to 2.57 additional cases per 1000 person-years when added to diabetes.

By this study, the authors concluded that among female health professionals aged at least 45 years, women with migraine with aura had a higher adjusted incidence rate of CVD compared with women with migraine without aura or no migraine. The authors also concluded that further research is required.

To read more about the study, click the following link: 

JAMA. 2020;323(22):2281-2289. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.7172