Migraine with aura and increased risk of ischaemic stroke

doi:10.1136/bmj.b4380

Published 27 October 2009, doi:10.1136/bmj.b4380
Cite this as: BMJ 2009;339:b4380

Editorials

Migraine with aura and increased risk of ischaemic stroke

Patients should be treated aggressively for modifiable cardiovascularrisk factors

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

In the linked systematic review (doi:10.1136/bmj.b3914), Schürksand colleagues assess the association between migraine and cardiovasculardisease, including stroke, myocardial infarction, and deathas a result of cardiovascular disease.¹

Migraine is a highly prevalent chronic condition characterisedby a hyper-responsive nervous system that predisposes to recurrentepisodes of severe headache and autonomic disturbance.² Roughlya quarter of people who have migraine experience temporary neurologicalsymptoms, known as aura, before some or all of their headaches.Aura is distinguished from other causes of brief recurrent neurologicaldisturbance, such as transient ischaemic attacks, by its gradualonset and disappearance, the presence of both positive and negativefeatures, and its duration of an hour or less.

Visual disturbances are the most common sort of aura, althoughsensory or motor auras can also occur. Patients with aura canbe identified using the visual aura rating scale (table), whichassigns a point . . . [Full text of this article]

Elizabeth Loder, chief, division of headache and pain

¹ Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women’s/Faulkner Hospitals and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02130 USA

eloder@partners.org

CiteULike

Complore

Connotea

Del.icio.us Add to Digg

Digg

StumbleUpon Add to Technorati

Technorati

Twitter What's this?

Relevant Articles

Which is it?: M Joy Spark
BMJ 2009 339: b5142. [Extract] [Full Text]

For contraception try IUDs ...: Veronica Stephenson
BMJ 2009 339: b4841. [Extract] [Full Text]

... or progestin-only pills: Christine C Rivet
BMJ 2009 339: b4842. [Extract] [Full Text]

Migraine and cardiovascular disease: systematic review and meta-analysis: Markus Schürks, Pamela M Rist, Marcelo E Bigal, Julie E Buring, Richard B Lipton, and Tobias Kurth
BMJ 2009 339: b3914. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Risk of ischaemic stroke in people with migraine: systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies: Mahyar Etminan, Bahi Takkouche, Francisco Caamaño Isorna, and Ali Samii
BMJ 2005 330: 63. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

This article has been cited by other articles:

Spark, M J. (2009). Which is it?. BMJ 339: b5142-b5142 [Full text]
Stephenson, V. (2009). For contraception try IUDs .... BMJ 339: b4841-b4841 [Full text]
Rivet, C. C (2009). ... or progestin-only pills. BMJ 339: b4842-b4842 [Full text]
Petrie, A. J (2009). Misleading relative risks?. BMJ 339: b4844-b4844 [Full text]

Rapid Responses:

Read all Rapid Responses

Migraine with aura and contraceptive options: Veronica Stephenson
bmj.com, 30 Oct 2009 [Full text]
Absolute risk: Alan J Petrie
bmj.com, 30 Oct 2009 [Full text]
Combined oral contraception and migraine aura: E. Anne MacGregor
bmj.com, 30 Oct 2009 [Full text]
Migraine with aura and contraception: Christine C Rivet
bmj.com, 31 Oct 2009 [Full text]
Patients should be treated aggressively for...: John G Dickinson
bmj.com, 3 Nov 2009 [Full text]
Migraine and Various Associations: Devender Singh Yadav
bmj.com, 6 Nov 2009 [Full text]
Author's reply: Elizabeth Loder
bmj.com, 15 Nov 2009 [Full text]
Progesterone or progestogen or progestin; which is it?: M Joy Spark
bmj.com, 19 Nov 2009 [Full text]
Progesterone induced arteriolar changes: affects on migraine, ischaemic stroke and lung cancer mortality.: Ellen CG Grant
bmj.com, 1 Feb 2010 [Full text]