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Migraine and Risk of Ischaemic Stroke in Women of Childbearing Age: Presented at IHC

By Larry Schuster

ROME, ITALY -- September 25, 2003 -- British researchers reported that the duration, frequency, type, and recency of migraines might have an effect on the risk of having an ischaemic stroke in women of childbearing age.

In a report here September 14^th at the 11^th Congress of the International Headache Society, Michael Donaghy, MD, Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford, United Kingdom, said the background incidence of ischemic stroke in the population is 5.5 per 100,000 women years. Previous work demonstrated that women with migraine with aura have a two-fold risk of ischemic stroke compared to women who have migraine without aura.

Their study compared 86 women with migraine, ages 20 to 44 years, to 214 matched controls.

Migraine of more than 12 years' duration had an odds ratio of 4.61 for ischaemic stroke; initial migraine type with aura had an odds ratio of 8.37; initial frequency of attacks more frequent than 12 times per year had an odds ratio of 10.4.

Patients with an initial migraine type involving aura occurring more than 12 times a year resulted in an especially high risk, and increased frequency in the previous 9 months also contributed to a higher risk.

Correction for oral contraceptives did not alter those ratios significantly.

This work represents an additional analysis of a multicentre case-control study of the relation between stroke and migraine (Chang et al. BMJ 1999; 318(7175):13-18.).

In an interview, Dr. Donaghy cautioned against over reacting to the findings, noting that even with an odds ratio of 10, the resulting increased incidence is still very small.

Julio G. Pascual, MD, department of neurology, Hospital Marques de Valdecilla, Santander, Spain, commenting on the paper, called these "very interesting results".

During his summary of highlights from the day's presentations, Dr. Pascual said, "I think this is the kind of patient we should focus on and we should treat more aggressively."


[Study title: Duration, Frequency, Recency and Type of Migraine and the Risk of Ischaemic Stroke in Women of Childbearing Age. Abstract 1.2]

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