Both men and women who suffer from migraine are at increased risk of ischemic stroke, according to research led by Aarhus University in Denmark, published in the journal PLOS Medicine.

The research team conducted a study of Danish medical records from 1996-2018, for people aged 18 to 60 years old. They found men and women with migraine based on their prescription drug records and compared the risk of heart attack and ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke before age 60 with the risks of the general population without migraine.

The analysis showed that both men and women with migraine had a similarly increased risk of ischemic stroke. It was also found that women may also have a slightly higher risk of heart attack and hemorrhagic stroke, compared with men with migraine and the general population.

Overall, the results suggest that women are more affected by migraine, as the condition is predominantly diagnosed in women. However, the researchers note that since they used prescription drug records to identify migraine patients, they may not have included people who had not received treatment, which could lead to an underestimation of the effect of migraine on these health problems.

The researchers also emphasize that it is vital to identify people who are at increased risk of heart attacks and strokes to facilitate targeted preventive treatments.

See the scientific publication here.