Migraine and Stroke in Young Adults and more
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The most common single cause of stroke in young adults is something called cervical artery dissection. This is a problem with one of two major arteries in your neck. When the lining of one of the arteries becomes torn, the blood can clot and weaken the wall of the artery or actually block it.
This problem can heal on its own, but it can be serious not only because of the symptoms it can cause but because it can cause stroke before it properly heals.
We know that there seems to be an increased risk of stroke for migraine patients. So the question is, is there a correlation between migraine and cervical artery dissection (CAD)?
According to a new study, yes.
The study out of Finland was written up last month. The researchers took 313 CAD patients and looked for lifetime prevalence of migraine. They also looked at migraine type and CAD type.
Both men and women with CAD were significantly more likely to have migraine disease, particularly migraine with aura.
And another interesting note. When CAD occurred, often patients reported an alleviation of migraine – another interesting link that needs to be investigated.
What we want to do is narrow down exactly why migraineurs are more likely to be stroke victims. It looks like this may be an important link. There could be, for example, a genetic factor that is causing both migraine and CAD.
The researchers concluded: Our observations suggest that patients with CAD are a significant link between ischemic stroke and migraine.
Read more about the study at Migraine with Aura Is a Risk Factor for Cervical Artery Dissection: A Case-Control Study.