Headache as a risk factor in atherosclerosis-related diseases
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Recurrent severe headache (RSHA), often migraine, may indicate a higher risk for atherosclerosis-related diseases (ASRD). This includes conditions like diabetes mellitus and hypertension, particularly in fathers and younger women.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Cardiology
- Genetics
Background:
- Migraine is a common neurological disorder.
- Atherosclerosis-related diseases (ASRD) like diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension (HBP), myocardial infarction (MI), and stroke share common risk factors.
- The potential link between recurrent severe headache (RSHA), primarily migraine, and parental history of ASRD is not well-established.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between parental history of ASRD and RSHA.
- To determine if RSHA is a potential risk factor or marker for ASRD in parents.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study involving 350 individuals with migraine and 300 controls.
- Participants were surveyed regarding the occurrence of DM, HBP, MI, and stroke in their parents.
- Parental ASRD occurrence was compared between parents of migraineurs and controls, and then analyzed based on the presence or absence of RSHA in parents.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in parental ASRD were found between migraineurs and controls.
- Parents with RSHA showed a trend towards increased stroke and DM (mothers) and significantly increased MI (p < .10) and HBP (p < .01) (fathers).
- Overall, ASRD occurred more frequently in parents with RSHA compared to those without (p < .05), notably in men of all ages and women under 60.
Conclusions:
- RSHA, predominantly migraine, may serve as a risk factor or marker for ASRD.
- The association appears stronger in fathers and younger women.
- Further research is warranted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms linking RSHA and ASRD.
Abstract:
A group of 350 migraineurs (87 male, 263 female) and 300 controls without migraine (104 male, 196 female) were questioned about occurrence, in parents, of the atherosclerosis-related diseases (ASRD) of diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension (HBP), myocardial infarction (MI), and stroke as well as about recurrent severe headache (RSHA). Occurrence of DM, HBP, MI and stroke was compared for mothers and fathers of migraine vs. those of control subjects and no significant differences were found. The mothers and fathers were pooled and resegregated by presence or absence of RSHA and then occurrence of DM, HBP, MI and stroke again compared. For mothers there was increased occurrence of stroke and DM in the RSHA group but the differences were not significant. For RSHA fathers there was increased incidence of MI (p less than .10) and HBP (p less than .01). Aggregate occurrence of all ASRD was evaluated for RSHA vs. no-RSHA parents. ASRD occurred more frequently in the RSHA than in the no-RSHA parents (p less than .05). Breakdown by age showed that this occurred at all ages in men (p less than .05) but in women the difference was significant only under age 60 (p less than .05). This study suggests that RSHA, which is primarily migraine, may be a risk factor or a marker for occurrence of ASRD.