The Association of Cardiovascular Disease and Migraine: Review

Abstract

The relation between the migraine and cardiovascular system is an interesting and yet complex. The migraine headache, specifically with aura, has been suggested to be associated with certain cardiovascular disorders. The exact explanation of this association still mysterious, but it has been suggested that spreading depressions waves of the cortex may play a critical role in changing brain blood flow which may lead to ischemic changes. Patients with migraine headache associated with aura are more predisposed to genetic cardiovascular disease associated risk factors including hypertension, hyperlipidemia and diabetes. Moreover, the risks of arrhythmia and mitral valve prolapse have been found to be different from normal population. It is important for healthcare providers to be aware of those findings in their assessment of the cardiovascular disease risk in migrainueres. In this review article will discuss this association