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Headache and cardiovascular disease: old symptoms, new proposals

Rui Andre Providencia1

  • 1Servico de Cardiologia, Centro Hospital de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal. rui_providencia@yahoo.com

Future Cardiology
|October 12, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Headache symptoms are increasingly linked to cardiovascular diseases like hypertension and stroke. Cardiologists and neurologists must understand this connection and its underlying mechanisms.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Neurology
  • Vascular Medicine

Background:

  • Growing evidence suggests a significant association between headache and various cardiovascular diseases.
  • Understanding this link is crucial for both cardiologists and neurologists in clinical practice.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide an overview of cardiovascular diseases associated with headache.
  • To review proposed pathophysiological mechanisms linking headache and cardiovascular conditions.
  • To discuss landmark studies investigating this relationship.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of cardiovascular diseases related to headache.
  • Examination of proposed pathophysiological mechanisms.
  • Discussion of relevant landmark studies.

Main Results:

  • Identified cardiovascular diseases linked to headache include hypertension, stroke, coronary heart disease, patent foramen ovale, atrial septal defects, atrial septal aneurysms, mitral valve prolapse, and aortic and carotid disease.
  • Reviewed proposed mechanisms underlying the headache-cardiovascular disease association.

Conclusions:

  • The intimate connection between headache and cardiovascular disease warrants attention from clinicians.
  • Further research into the pathophysiological mechanisms is essential for improved patient management.

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