Migraine with Aura Linked to Modest Increase in Mortality Risk

Migraine with Aura Linked to Modest Increase in Mortality Risk

Adults who suffer migraine with aura face a modestly increased risk for cardiovascular and all-cause mortality, according to a BMJ study.

Researchers in Iceland assessed headache symptoms in nearly 19,000 adults (mean age, 53) and then followed them for roughly 26 years. Compared with subjects without headache, those experiencing migraine with aura at least monthly had a 21% higher risk for all-cause mortality and a 27% higher risk for cardiovascular mortality. Migraine without aura and nonmigraine headache did not pose increased risk.

The authors call the absolute increase in risk with migraine with aura "low," and conclude that "the focus should be on conventional risk factors ... for reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, regardless of migraine status."

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