Seniors with Migraine: More Likely to have a Car Accident?

Are older drivers with migraine more likely to have a car accident? If so, why? A recent study at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, sponsored by AAA, asked this question.

Perhaps most interesting were the things that weren’t likely to increase risk of vehicle accidents. First of all, seniors (ages 65-79) who had a history of migraine were not, in general, more likely to be involved in car accidents. They weren’t worse drivers, they weren’t at a higher risk. Good news so far.

However, these drivers did tend to drive a little less (no surprise there). And they also tended to have more “hard braking events”. But no increase in accidents. So at least their reflexes are still good!

The researchers also failed to find a connection between certain medications and accidents, although there may not have been enough information in this particular study to come to a hard-and-fast conclusion.

But here’s the twist. Older drivers who experienced new migraine did have a higher chance of accidents. In fact, in the group who experienced their first migraine symptoms over the past year, the risk of car accidents was three times higher than in the other groups (people who had already experienced migraine, or those who had never had migranie symptoms).

Why would this be? Were these people simply not used to the symptoms? Is it possible that new medications were to blame (although it seems like this wasn’t the case)?

Is it possible that some of these cases were not actually migraine? This is an interesting question, because as we all know, sometimes getting a proper diagnosis can take much longer than a year. Also, finding a good treatment can take longer than a year.

While we don’t know exactly why the risk goes up for newly diagnosed migraineurs 65 and over, it’s worth it to be aware of the potential risk. Lead author of the study, Dr. Carolyn DiGuiseppi, puts it this way:

These results have potential implications for the safety of older patients that should be addressed. Patients with a new migraine diagnosis would benefit from talking with their clinicians about driving safety, including being extra careful about other risks, such as distracted driving, alcohol, pain medication and other factors that affect driving.

Carolyn DiGuiseppi (Study: Older Drivers Newly Diagnosed With Migraines at Increased Crash Risk)

The researchers also recommend that future studies take a closer look at “timing, frequency, and severity of migraine diagnosis and symptoms, and use of medications specifically prescribed for migraine, in relation to driving outcomes”. With a significant increase in risk, it would be helpful to know exactly why this is the case. Is it the case for a certain type of migraine? A certain type of treatment?

If you’re 65 or older and have been newly diagnosed, be sure to do your research and if possible see a headache specialist, not just a family doctor. And be aware that migraine can have a significant affect on various parts of your life, even if you’re not in pain at a specific moment.

You can read the study abstract for yourself here, in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society: Migraine headaches are associated with motor vehicle crashes and driving habits among older drivers: Prospective cohort study

via: Older adults with newly diagnosed migraine disorder three times more likely to have motor vehicle crash (ScienceDaily)