A new study suggests that women who suffer from migraines and persistent hot flashes face double the risk of heart disease and triple the risk of stroke.
Migraines, Vasomotor Symptoms, and Cardiovascular Disease in the Developing Coronary Artery Risk in Young Adults Study Summary Aim To examine whether vasomotor symptoms (VMS) and migraines , which are assumed to be vasoactive conditions, are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) events, including stroke. Methods We performed a secondary data analysis of a subset of women (n = 1954) in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adult (CARDIA) study, a population-based cohort, who began data collection between 18 and 30 years of age. We examined whether migraines and vasomotor symptom (VMS) trajectories (characterized as trough, trough, and persistent) at the year 15 CARDIA exam were associated with increased risk of CVD events and stroke (both ischemic and hemorrhagic) using models of Cox proportional hazards regression and adjustment for traditional CVD risk factors (age, cigarette smoking, and levels of systolic and diastolic blood pressure, fasting glucose, high- and low-density cholesterol, and triglycerides) and reproductive factors. Results Among women with minimal risk factors (n = 835), increasing VMS (n = 521), and persistent VMS (n = 598), there were 81 incident CVD events, including 42 strokes. Women with a history of migraine and persistent VMS had an increased risk of CVD (hazard ratio [HR], 2.25; 95% CI, 1.15-4.38) after adjustment for age, race, use of estrogens, oophorectomy and hysterectomy compared with women without a history of migraine. and with minimal/increasing VMS. After adjustment for CVD risk factors, these associations were attenuated (HR, 1.51; 95% CI, 0.73-3.10). Similarly, women with a history of migraine and persistent VMS had an increased risk of stroke (HR, 3.15; 95% CI, 1.35-7.34), but these associations were attenuated after adjustment for CVD risk factors (HR, 1.70; 95% CI, 0.66-4.38). Conclusions Migraines and persistent vasomotor symptoms (VMS) are jointly associated with an increased risk of CVD and stroke, although the risk is attenuated with adjustment for traditional CVD risk factors. |
Comments
Hot flashes and migraine (particularly with aura ) have been shown to be individual risk factors for cardiovascular disease due to the associated worse heart disease risk factor profiles. However, a new study is the first to examine the joint influences of migraine and hot flashes/ night sweats (vasomotor symptoms) independently of traditional risk factors for heart disease and estrogen use. The research results are published in Menopause , the journal of The Menopause Society.
Specifically, the research shows that women with migraine and persistent vasomotor symptoms were 1.5 times more likely to have heart disease and 1.7 times more likely to have a stroke compared to women without both symptoms, after adjustment by age, race, estrogen use, oophorectomy, hysterectomy, and cardiovascular disease risk factors.
In contrast, women with a history of migraine or persistent hot flashes (not both at the same time) over time did not face a significantly increased risk of heart disease outside of the effect of traditional risk factors such as tobacco use and lipid levels, blood pressure and fasting glucose.
Nearly 2,000 women participated in the study that began data collection between the ages of 18 and 30 until approximately age 61. These results are noteworthy because migraines and hot flashes are very common. It is estimated that hot flashes affect almost 80% of women transitioning through menopause, although these symptoms can vary greatly in severity, frequency, age of onset, and accompanying symptoms. Migraines are particularly common in women of late reproductive age, affecting approximately 17.5% of women.
The results of the survey are published in the article " Migraines, vasomotor symptoms, and cardiovascular disease in the Coronary Arter Risk Development in Young Adult study ."
“This study highlights the importance of considering female-predominant or female-specific factors, such as a history of migraine and persistent vasomotor symptoms, when assessing cardiovascular risk in women. There is a critical need to further refine existing cardiovascular disease risk prediction models to more accurately identify women at future risk. In the meantime, optimizing risk factors is important for women with both conditions,” says Dr. Stephanie Faubion, medical director of The Menopause Society.
