Migraine May Raise The Risk of Heart Attack

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<h1>Migraine May Raise The Risk of Heart Attack</h1><strong> Author: <a href='http://www.articleseen.com/profile_womanmagz.aspx'>womanmagz</a></strong><br /><p>More than 30 million people in the United States suffer from migraine, according to the National Headache Foundation. Migraine are a common condition that affect women more than men. Seventy five percent of migraine affects people b people between the ages twenty-five of fifteen and fifty-five. According to a study, people who suffer migraines may have a higher risk of heart attack or stroke than those without the painful headaches. The researchers also found that migraine sufferers were more likely to have key risk factors for cardiovascular disease such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Scientists, led by Marcelo E. Bigal, MD, PhD, with Merck Research Laboratories and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, New York analyzed data on 6,102 people with migraine and 5,243 people without migraine. Participants Participants answered questions about headaches, treatment, general health and any diagnosed heart problems The study found that people who had migraines were about twice as likely to have a heart attack compared to people without migraines, or 4.1 percent of people with migraine compared to 1.9 percent of those without migraine. The heart-attack risk was nearly three times greater for people who experienced migraine with aura, or sensations such as seeing flashing lights that come before the migraine headache, compared to people without migraines. The data also shows that people with migraine with aura were about 50 percent more likely to have diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol compared to people without migraine. Some researchers blame migraines on chronic exposure to certain neurotransmitters. Most scientists think migraine sufferers' brains are hyper-excitable — that is, their neurons tend to start firing uncontrollably, with the outburst spreading across the brain over the course of a few hours. This electrical storm causes the brain to release several neurotransmitters, including two chemicals called Substance P and Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide (CGRP), that produce inflammation and pain in the blood vessels surrounding our brains. Researchers suspect that over years of repeated migraines, the inflammation from Substance P and CGRP may weaken blood vessels, not only in the head but throughout the body. This damage may raise the risk of stroke or heart attack. During a stroke, the vessels that supply the brain rupture or become blocked; during a heart attack the same thing happens to the vessels around the heart. However these findings will motivate migraine sufferers to exercise regularly, to avoid smoking and to address their other health problems. "It is important to view migraine as more than a series of individual attacks.</p><strong>About the Author:</strong><br />If you want more information about <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.womanmagz.com">health</a> please visit <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.womanmagz.com">this site </a>right now.<p> Article Source: <a href='http://www.articleseen.com/Article_Migraine-May-Raise-The-Risk-of-Heart-Attack_35560.aspx'> http://www.articleseen.com/Article_Migraine May Raise The Risk of Heart Attack_35560.aspx</a></p>

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Keywords : migraines headaches, headaches, heart attack, health, migraines may increase heart attack risk, health care,

Category : Health and Fitness : Medicine