Migraines could be linked to a cause of stroke that particularly affects young adult men, according to an international study.
Italian researchers looked at more than 2400 patients aged 18 to 45 who had suffered an ischemic stroke (IS).
They found that migraines - especially those who didn't experience the symptom of flickering colours and lights known as aura - were linked to cervical artery dissection (CeAD).
While stroke in young adults in uncommon, CeAD is a frequent cause of ischemic stroke in young and middle-age adult men.
A study published in journal JAMA Neurology, led by Professor Alessandro Pezzini from the Universita degli Studi di Brescia, found patients with non-CeAD ischemic stroke were more likely to have an unfavourable cardiovascular risk factor profile, including diabetes, high cholesterol and current smoking.
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Migraine was more common in the group of patients with CeAD ischemic stroke, mainly because of the frequency of migraine without aura, according to the results.
"Our data support consideration of a history of migraine as a marker for increased risk of IS caused by CeAD, as well as a putative susceptibility factor for CeAD, regardless of its clinical features," wrote the authors.
The study did not assess migraine frequency and severity or the frequency of auras, the authors noted.
