Migraine headaches linked to chest pain

12 January 2005:-   People who suffer from migraines and other severe headaches, particularly those with "aura" �?seeing what appear to be spots or lines before their eyes �?are at an increased risk of experiencing chest pain, US researchers have found.

Contrary to previous studies, however, Dr Kathy Rose, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and colleagues were unable to find an association between migraines and coronary heart disease (CHD), which is caused by the narrowing of the coronary arteries that feed the heart.

The researchers examined associations between migraine, and other headaches lasting for 4 hours or more, and the presence of "Rose" angina, a type of chest pain experienced during exertion, and CHD in 12,409 individuals.

They found that participants with a history of migraines and other headaches were more likely to have a history of Rose angina than those without a history of migraines or other headaches.

These associations were consistently stronger for patients who experienced migraine with aura in both men and women, and were not explained by risk factors traditionally associated with heart disease.

There was no relationship, however, between migraine and other headaches, with or without aura, and verified CHD events.

"Our findings suggest that the higher prevalence of chest pain�?among those with migraines or other severe headaches may be related to something other than heart disease," said Dr Rose. "For example, people with migraines might have greater sensitivity to pain," she suggests.

"What our work does not say is that people with headaches should ignore chest pain since that is an important symptom of a number of conditions, including coronary disease," Dr Rose added.
 

From:   http://www.patienthealthinternational.com/archivenews/4558.aspx

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