Migraine and vasomotor symptoms may increase CAD risk among young adults: Study

A study was done to examine whether vasomotor symptoms (VMS) and migraine headaches, hypothesized to be vasoactive conditions, are associated with a greater risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) events including strokes. They performed secondary data analysis of a subset of women (n = 1,954) in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study, a population-based cohort, which began data collection at 18 to 30 y of age. We examined whether migraine headaches and VMS trajectories (characterized as minimal, increasing, and persistent) at CARDIA year 15 examination were associated with higher risk of CVD events and stroke (both ischemic and hemorrhagic) using Cox proportional hazards regression models and adjustment for traditional CVD risk factors (age, cigarette use, and levels of systolic and diastolic blood pressure, fasting glucose, high- and low-density cholesterol, and triglycerides) and reproductive factors. Results: Among women with minimal VMS (n = 835), increasing VMS (n = 521), and persistent VMS (n = 598), there were 81 incident CVD events including 42 strokes. Women with histories of migraine and persistent VMS had a greater risk of CVD (hazard ratio [HR], 2.25; 95% CI, 1.15-4.38) after adjustment for age, race, estrogen use, oophorectomy, and hysterectomy compared with women without migraine histories and with minimal/increasing VMS. After adjustment for CVD risk factors, these associations were attenuated (HR, 1.51; 95% CI, 0.73-3.10). Similarly, women with histories of migraine and persistent VMS had a greater risk of stroke (HR, 3.15; 95% CI, 1.35-7.34), but these associations were attenuated after adjustment for CVD risk factors (HR, 1.70; 95% CI, 0.66-4.38). Migraines and persistent VMS jointly associated with a greater risk for CVD and stroke, although risk is attenuated with adjustment for traditional CVD risk factors.

Reference:

Kim, Catherine MD, MPH1; Schreiner, Pamela J. PhD2; Yin, Zhe MS3; Whitney, Rachael PhD4; Sidney, Stephen MD, MPH5; Ebong, Imo MD6; Levine, Deborah A. MD, MPH4. Migraines, vasomotor symptoms, and cardiovascular disease in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults study. Menopause ():10.1097/GME.0000000000002311, February 13, 2024. | DOI: 10.1097/GME.0000000000002311

Keywords:

Kim, Catherine, Schreiner, Pamela J, Whitney, Rachael, Sidney, Stephen, Ebong, Imo Levine, Deborah A, Migraines, vasomotor symptoms, and cardiovascular disease, Coronary Artery Risk Development, Young Adults, Menopause