Migraine can cause '"silent strokes" in elderly people, a new research shows.
Researchers studied more than 100 participants who had experienced migraines and around 450 without any migraine problems. The team noted that 41 percent were men with a median age of 71.
Brain scans were performed on the participants of both the groups. The findings showed that even after other risk factors for stroke were considered, there were twice as many silent strokes among the participants with migraines.
Silent stroke risk increased in people who had migraines with auras (or changes in vision), and those who had migraines without visual symptoms, the researchers found. The study found that Hispanics and blacks were at an increased risk of stroke by 65 percent.
Past researches have shown that migraine can affect the small blood vessels in the brain. However, this study did not find an increase in blood vessel changes.
According to the researchers, the findings also indicate that treating migraines might help lower the risk of stroke.
"I do not believe migraine sufferers should worry, as the risk of ischemic stroke in people with migraine is considered small," said lead study author, Dr. Teshamae Monteith, reports HealthDay. Monteith is an assistant professor of clinical neurology and chief of the headache division at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. "However, those with migraine and vascular risk factors may want to pay even greater attention to lifestyle changes that can reduce stroke risk, such as exercising and eating a low-fat diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables."
The research was published in the journal 'Stroke'.
