Migraine and Cardiovascular

  Migraine is a common primary headache with a complex etiology that primarily involves women. The clinical diagnosis relies on the presence of certain migraine features. Migraine is characterized by recurrent headaches that usually last from 4 to 72 hours. The pain is unilateral, throbbing, moderate to severe, and usually exacerbated by physical activity. In addition, migraine attacks are often accompanied by photophobia, phonophobia, nausea and or vomiting. In some patients, migraine attacks are usually preceded by a migraine aura characterized by transient neurological symptoms that most often affect vision. Some studies have reported meta-analyses of case-control and cohort studies supporting an association between migraine and ischemic stroke, but this appears to be limited to migraineurs with aura. Recent findings further suggest an association between migraine aura and other vascular ischemic events including myocardial infarction. However, the biological mechanisms underlying the association between migraine and ischemic vascular disease are unclear. The mechanisms may be complex. The study found many data that appear to support the hypothesis of underlying endothelial dysfunction, which is consistent with the conclusion that the association between migraine and cardiovascular disease is influenced by environmental (age, smoking, oral contraceptives) and genetic factors. In addition, studies suggest that the association between migraine and cardiovascular disease may be related to ischemic stroke and myocardial infarction, and although the increased risk of cardiovascular disease in migraine patients appears to be limited to those with aura, little is known about whether and how migraine features may affect cardiovascular. It has also been reported in the literature that in a large cohort participating in the Women’s Health Study, an increased risk of cardiovascular disease was found to occur only in migraineurs with aura and not in those without aura. In addition, migraine attack frequency may affect the risk of cardiovascular disease in migraineurs with aura, and frequent migraine attacks can lead to vascular changes that eventually cause damage to the pulses, resulting in a pulsating pain sensation. However, the mechanism is not yet clear. A deeper understanding of the underlying mechanisms underlying individual migraine characteristics would also help to better understand the pathophysiology of complex migraine and reveal the link between migraine aura and cardiovascular disease.