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Coronary Heart Disease: Are Migraines And Constant Headaches Related To Heart Problems?

by — Last updated: 2020-02-02 in Cardiovascular Disorders and Diseases

Some studies indicate that people that get recurring migraines are more likely to get coronary heart disease and stroke. Why?

Frequent migraines can — believe it or not — signal that you may be at a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease. If you experience migraines once in a while, you may not need to worry about this, but if you are constantly plagued by migraines, you may want to keep an eye out for symptoms of heart disease or stroke.

Migraines are headaches that include symptoms such as intense pulsing or a throbbing pain of the head, nausea, and being sensitive to light and sound. The link between migraines and heart problems has been shown via several different teams of researchers, though the reason why is not entirely clear.

What is the link between migraines and heart problems?

One study conducted in Denmark found that people who experience migraines have a higher risk of many different cardiovascular diseases:

  • Heart attack
  • Stroke
  • Atrial fibrillation, a type of abnormal and irregular heart rhythm
  • Blood clots in blood vessels (which can block blood flow)

This study analyzed 51,000 people who experienced frequent migraines (71 percent of whom were women and diagnosed with migraines by an average age of 35) and compared the results to 510,000 people who did not experience migraines. Results from the study after 19 years of follow-up indicated that patients in the migraine group had 1.5 times the risk of having a heart attack and a twice the risk of having a stroke compared to patients who don’t experience headaches.

Furthermore, the study showed that among people with migraines, the risk of developing blood clots and atrial fibrillation is 1.6 and 1.3 times higher, respectively, compared to people who don’t experience migraines.

The link was stronger in some subsets of migraine sufferers. For example, people suffering from migraines with an aura (a phenomenon in which a headache is preceded by visual changes such as flashing lights or blind spots), had a higher risk of developing heart disease. Additionally, women suffering from migraines were found to have a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Women who get migraines with auras were found to be three to four times more likely to suffer a stroke, too.

Previous studies have also shown a link between the occurrence of migraines and a heart attack, especially among women.

So, why is there a connection between migraines, heart disease and stroke?

Unfortunately, though research has made it clear that there is indeed a link between migraines and the risk of cardiovascular disease, it is not yet known why this connection exists. 

Some doctors believe that the same genes that cause people to get migraines also play a role in increasing their risk of having a heart attack. Others believe that during a migraine in which patients experience a visual aura, blood flow to a region of a brain goes down for a little while, causing blood vessels to become inflamed and increasing risk of a stroke.

Another potential reason why this occurs may be that migraines develop due to a sudden blockage of blood vessels in the brain, which also makes people more likely to develop strokes as sudden blockages can cause a lack of oxygen to go to regions of the brain.

Patients who experience migraines are also less likely to be physically active and need to rest for longer periods of time when they experience migraines, leading to a higher risk of blood clots.

However, it is important to note that despite a higher risk for heart disease and stroke among people with migraines, the risk at an individual level is still quite low. At a population level, however, there is a significant increase in heart disease among patients with migraines since migraines are so common.

Migraines and high blood pressure

Another link between migraines and stroke and heart disease comes from the link between migraines and high blood pressure. Migraines are associated with high blood pressure, which is an independent risk factor for both stroke and heart disease. This link between migraines and high blood pressure is not as strongly established as the link between migraines and stroke or heart disease, but many studies indicate that there is a connection.

The evidence for migraines and high blood pressure comes from studies that have shown that drugs that are used to treat high blood pressure, particularly calcium channel blockers and ACE inhibitors, can be used to successfully treat migraines. If you get migraines, you should try to lower your risk of high blood pressure by cutting back on salt in food, exercising regularly, quitting smoking and maintaining a healthy weight.

Migraines and blood clots

Migraines are also linked to another risk factor for heart disease and stroke: blood clots. Migraine sufferers are more likely to have blood clots. Furthermore, studies have shown that women that take hormonal birth control and experience migraines are more likely to have blood clots. Therefore, if you have recurring migraines and are on hormonal birth control, you should see your doctor and discuss your risk of blood clots and what you can do to lower your risk.

  • Lee, M. J., Lee, C., & Chung, C. S. (2016). The migraine–stroke connection. Journal of stroke, 18(2), 146.
  • Pezzini, A., Zotto, E. D., Giossi, A., Volonghi, I., Grassi, M., & Padovani, A. (2009). The migraine-ischemic stroke connection: potential pathogenic mechanisms. Current molecular medicine, 9(2), 215-226.
  • Kurth, T., Gaziano, J. M., Cook, N. R., Logroscino, G., Diener, H. C., & Buring, J. E. (2006). Migraine and risk of cardiovascular disease in women. Jama, 296(3), 283-291.
  • Photo courtesy of SteadyHealth

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