Association of Migraine with Aura and Other Risk Factors with Incident Cardiovascular Disease in Women

Abstract

Importance: Migraine with aura is known to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The absolute contribution of migraine with aura to CVD incidence in relation to other CVD risk factors remains unclear. Objective: To estimate the CVD incidence rate for women with migraine with aura relative to women with other major vascular risk factors. Design, Setting, and Participants: Female health professionals in the US (the Women's Health Study cohort) with lipid measurements and no CVD at baseline (1992-1995) were followed up through December 31, 2018. Exposures: Self-reported migraine with aura compared with migraine without aura or no migraine at baseline. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was major CVD (first myocardial infarction, stroke, or CVD death). Generalized modeling procedures were used to calculate multivariable-adjusted incidence rates for major CVD events by risk factor status that included all women in the cohort. Results: The study population included 27858 women (mean [SD] age at baseline, 54.7 [7.1] years), among whom 1435 (5.2%) had migraine with aura and 26423 (94.8%) did not (2177 [7.8%] had migraine without aura and 24246 [87.0%] had no migraine in the year prior to baseline). During a mean follow-up of 22.6 years (629353 person-years), 1666 major CVD events occurred. The adjusted incidence rate of major CVD per 1000 person-years was 3.36 (95% CI, 2.72-3.99) for women with migraine with aura vs 2.11 (95% CI, 1.98-2.24) for women with migraine without aura or no migraine (P