Migraine linked to increased stroke risk in women

Women who have migraines may have an increased risk of stroke, according to a preliminary study presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2016.

Researchers studied 917 women who were being evaluated for heart disease and found those that had a history of migraines (224 or nearly 25 percent) were at higher risk of a future cardiovascular event - notably stroke.

They also found:

• Compared to those who did not report a history of migraines, women with a history of the headaches had an 83 percent higher risk of a cardiovascular event, including stroke or heart attack, during an average six-year follow-up.
• Women with history of migraine were 2.33 times more likely to suffer a stroke during the study than women who didn't report migraines.