Heart Health
New Medical Research Puts Women With Migraines On Notice About Cardiovascular Risk
By
Apr 17, 2008 - 8:37:32 AM

(HealthNewsDigest.com) - Of special note is a new study linking migraine frequency with women’s risk of cardiovascular disease. Researchers studied 28,000 women who were ages 45 and older, and followed them for an average of 12 years. “This is a very significant study by Harvard researchers that essentially puts women on notice that, if they’re having migraines on a regular basis, they’re at greater risk of having a stroke,” says Dr. Orly Avitzur, medical adviser to Consumer Reports. “Women are at a disadvantage to begin with because they’re less likely than men to be identified by their doctors as high-risk for cardiovascular disease. Women who have frequent migraines need to be aware of their susceptibility and stay extra vigilant about warning signs.”

According to Dr. Avitzur, migraines disproportionately affect women: 18% of women get migraines versus 6% of men. “While more research needs to be done to assess whether migraine prevention might lower cardiovascular risk, it’s still essential that we help men and women learn to manage migraines and spot migraine triggers to prevent them from occurring in the first place,” says Avitzur. Migraines are a leading cause of absenteeism and decreased work productivity.

Click here to read a recent blog posting about pinpointing migraine triggers by Dr. Avitzur:
http://blogs.consumerreports.org/health/2008/03/if-you-can-pinp.html

Click here for recommendations from Consumer Reports about stroke prevention:
http://www.consumerreports.org/health/treatment-centers/staying-healthy/stroke-prevention/introduction.htm

www.HealthNewsDigest.com






© Copyright by HealthNewsDigest.com