A new study by researchers from Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark and Stanford University, USA, has linked migraines to increased risk of heart attacks, stroke, blood clots and irregular heart rate.
The study published in the journal The BMJ, revealed that although the absolute risks were low, Migraine could be a significant risk factor for most cardiovascular diseases.
The study sampled 51,032 participants (patients) with migraine and 510,320 people from the general population who were matched on age, sex, and calendar year.
Among the participants, the average age for diagnosis of migraine was 35 years and a large majority (71 per cent) of the participants were women.
The study also concluded that the link between migraine and cardiovascular diseases was stronger in women than in men.
"Migraine was associated with increased risks of myocardial infarction, ischaemic stroke, haemorrhagic stroke, venous thromboembolism, and atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter."
What people eat plays a vital role on how they fight migraine. There are certain foods that are considered to be migraine triggers and which must be avoided.
They are:
1. Caffeine
Caffeinated drinks like coffee, tea, chocolate and energy drinks have been found to be big triggers of migraine in people. In fact, chocolate is considered to be the second largest migraine trigger.
2. Alcohol
Alcohol is the biggest trigger for migraine around the world. More specifically, red wine and beer have been found to be the trigger foods for a large number of migraine patients.
3. Artificial Sweeteners
The use of artificial sweeteners has been growing particularly in the market for 'health' foods and 'skinny foods' that are supposed to aid weight loss. One such food is the artificial sweetener found in diet sodas.
4. Pickled or fermented foods
Age cheese, picked and fermented foods can also cause migraine, due to the presence of a compound called tyramine. People suffering from migraines should stay away from khimchi, kombucha and all sorts of pickles.
Apart from these foods, salty and frozen foods have also been known to be significant triggers of migraine. Migraine treatment includes a diet or dietary supplements rich in vitamin B-2 or riboflavin, as well as magnesium.
