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HEALTH WATCH: Stroke Risk for Pill-Taking Migraine Sufferers

Posted on: Friday, 17 December 2004, 15:00 CST

FEMALE migraine sufferers who take the Pill are up to eight times more likely to have a stroke than those not using the oral contraceptive.

Migraine sufferers were found to be twice as likely to suffer a stroke than other people.

For women on the Pill, the risk of stroke increased eightfold.

Researchers, from Canada, the US and Spain said more research was needed to look at the risk of stroke for women with migraines who also take the Pill.

A review of 14 studies into the link between migraine and stroke, published on bmj.com, concluded that the risk of stroke for migraine sufferers was 2.16 times that for nonsufferers.

The team, from the University of Washington, Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal and the University of Santiago de Compostela in Spain, found different levels of risk for different types of migraine.

Those who had interrupted vision from light effects - aura - with their migraine were at a slightly higher risk of stroke than those without - 2.16 times more likely to suffer a stroke compared to 1.86.

The most marked increase in risk was among those women taking the Pill.

"The risk of stroke among oral contraceptive users is very high, although these data come from only three studies," the researchers said.

Past research has shown Pill-users with a history of migraine have twice the risk of suffering a stroke compared to those without migraine. "Given that the use of oral contraceptives is prevalent among young women, the potential risk of stroke among women with migraine who are also users of oral contraceptives must be further investigated," the researchers said.

They said the increased risk of stroke was probably due to the reduced blood flow to the brain which usually occurred during a migraine.

Each year, more than 130,000 people in England and Wales have a stroke (the figure for Northern Ireland is 4,500) , with a third likely to die within the first 10 days.

A quarter of a million people in the UK are living with long- term disability caused by a stroke.

Around six million people in the UK are estimated to be affected by migraine - about 10 per cent of the population.

Women are more likelyto suffer, with one in four affected, compared to one in 12 men.

A spokeswoman for The Stroke Association said: "This study adds to the growing body of evidence of a link between migraine and an increased risk of ischaemic stroke, particularly in women taking oral contraceptives. Further research is needed to fully understand the reason behind this link. "However, other risk factors such as high blood pressure and smoking may also have a role.

"Migraine sufferers who may have such risk factors and are intending to take oral contraception should be advised accordingly."

Source: Belfast News Letter, The

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