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Migraine and Coronary Heart Disease in Women and Men
Cook NR, Bensenor I, Lotufo PA, etal.
Posted: January 2003  
Headache 2002; 42:715-727


Objective:   We evaluated migraine as an independent risk factor for subsequent coronary heart disease (CHD) events among women in the Women’s Health Study (WHS) and men in the Physicians’ Health Study (PHS).

Background:  Although several studies have suggested that migraine is associated with increased risk of stroke, there are few and conflicting data on whether migraine predicts risk of future coronary heart disease events.

Methods:   The WHS is an ongoing randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of low-dose aspirin and vitamin E in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancer in 39,876 women health professionals aged >45 years in 1993, and the PHS is a completed randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of aspirin and ß-carotene in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancer in 22,071 men physicians aged 40-84 years in 1982. Primary endpoints were defined as major CHD (nonfatal myocardial infarction or fatal CHD) and total CHD (major CHD plus angina and coronary revascularization).

Results:   After adjusting for other CHD risk factors, female health professionals and male physicians reporting migraine were not at increased risk for subsequent major CHD or total CHD. When considered separately, there was also no increase in risk of myocardial infarction or angina.

Conclusion:   These prospective data suggest that migraine is not associated with increased risk of subsequent CHD events in women or men.