Cardiovascular risk factors and migraine without aura: A case-control study

BACKGROUND Migraine with aura (MA) has been identified as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Previous observation has also found higher prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in migraineurs without aura (MO), but the results have been conflicting. The present study was conducted to assess the association between cardiovascular risk factors and migraine without aura among Iranians. METHODS In our study the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors, including hypertension, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, obesity, cigarette smoking, and family history of early coronary artery disease, were studied in 347 migraineurs without aura and 267 non-migraineurs. The odds ratio (ORs) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was used to assess the strength of the association. RESULTS Patients with migraine without aura were at an increased risk of developing hypertension (ORadj = 1.9; P = 0.029), but there was no difference in other cardiovascular risk profiles, including hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, obesity, cigarette smoking, and family history of early coronary artery disease. CONCLUSION Our study revealed that the prevalence of hypertension was higher in migraineurs without aura in comparison with non-migraineurs. Therefore, physicians are supposed to be more vigilant in examining these patients and take care not to prescribe medications that may provoke hypertension.