Women's Health
Migraines plus early menopause symptoms may add up to cardiovascular risks
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- Reviewed by Toni Golen, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Women's Health Watch; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing; Contributor
Women who cope with a combination of migraine headaches and early menopause symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats may face higher risks of heart disease or stroke in midlife, a new analysis suggests.
The study, published in the March 2024 issue of Menopause, tracked 15 years of data from nearly 2,000 women who were 18 to 30 years old at the study's start. Participants who reported having migraines and persistent "vasomotor symptoms" — the medical term describing hot flashes and night sweats — earlier in adulthood were 51% more likely to develop cardiovascular disease over the next 15 years when compared with women who seldom or never experienced the same problems. Stroke risk was even higher — 70% — among women with migraines and persistent vasomotor symptoms over the study period.
Women who experience both migraines and early, persistent hot flashes and night sweats can offset the risks for heart disease and stroke by quitting smoking and promptly treating conditions such as high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high cholesterol, the study authors said.
Image: © Ekaterina Goncharova/Getty Images
About the Author
Maureen Salamon, Executive Editor, Harvard Women's Health Watch
About the Reviewer
Toni Golen, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Women's Health Watch; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing; Contributor
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