Since the study only looked at women, it's not known if the results would be the same in men.
Summary and comments:
As with other studies that have shown a correlation between Migraine and stroke, this one gives reason for thought and caution, but not panic. If you have Migraine with aura, speak with your doctor about how you can reduce stroke risk factors. Work with your doctor toward the best Migraine treatment regimen for you. Develop nutrition and exercise lifestyle habits that will benefit your overall state of health. And, keep learning. The more we know about our health and issues such as Migraine disease, the more we can do to reduce our risks.
The closing paragraph of the Neurology article is worth special note:
"Our results warrant replication in other large cohorts with information on migraine and aura status according to the IHS criteria. In particular, age- and gender specific effects need to be considered. Given the limited knowledge about the biologic pathways involved between migraine with aura and ischemic vascular events, genetic testing of migraineurs with aura seems premature. However, practitioners should focus on reducing cardiovascular risk factors and particularly advise young women with migraine with aura not to smoke and to re-evaluate oral contraceptive use."
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Resources:
Schürks, Markus, MD, MSc; Zee, Robert Y.L., MD, PhD; Buring, Julie E., ScD; Kurth, Tobias, MD, ScD. "Interrelationships among the MTHFR 677C>T polymorphism, migraine, and cardiovascular disease." Neurology® 2008;71:505–513.
Press Release. "Gene May Put Women with Migraine at Increased Risk of Heart Disease and Stroke." St. Paul. American Academy of Neurology. July 30, 2008.
Women's Health Initiative. Women's Health Study. National Institutes of Health. Bethesda.
The study was supported by grants from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, the National Cancer Institute, the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, the Leducq Foundation, the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, F. Hoffman La-Roche and Roche Molecular Systems and the German Research Foundation.
About the Women's Health Initiative (WHI):
The Women's Health Initiative (WHI) was a major 15-year research program to address the most common causes of death, disability and poor quality of life in postmenopausal women -- cardiovascular disease, cancer, and osteoporosis.
© Teri Robert, 2008.
Last updated August 2, 2008.
