Migraine sufferers with aura at risk of heart disease and stroke

The risk of dying from any disease is 21 per cent higher in people who suffer migraine with aura (disturbances before or during a migraine) compared to those who do not suffer migraine headaches, a study found.

Analysis found that people who suffer migraine with aura are 27 per cent more likely to die from cardiovascular disease than those who do not.

When these cardiovascular deaths were analysed, there was a 28 per cent higher risk of dying from coronary heart disease for those suffering migraine with aura and a 40 per cent higher risk of dying from stroke.

However, the researchers behind the study said the absolute risks for people with migraine and aura are still low. The research found no increased risk of dying for people who suffer migraines without aura.

Today's study, published online in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), examined data from 18,725 men and women born between 1907 and 1935 and living in Iceland.

At the start of the study, when people were aged 53 on average, they filled in questionnaires about their health and underwent physical examinations, including blood tests.

The group was then followed for up to 40 years to assess the impact of migraine on sufferers compared with non-sufferers.

The team of experts, led by Larus Gudmundsson from the University of Iceland, noted that people who suffer the most frequent attacks of migraine with aura could have the highest risks. Men were also marginally more likely than women to be at risk.