Migraine With Aura Linked to Incident Ischemic Stroke Risk in Those 45 Years and Older

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By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, Senior Medical Editor, B. Pharm. Last updated on May 26, 2026.

via HealthDay

TUESDAY, May 26, 2026 -- Migraine with aura is associated with an increased risk for ischemic stroke in adults aged 45 years or older, according to a study published online May 20 in Neurology Open Access.

Adam S. Sprouse Blum, M.D., Ph.D., from the University of Vermont in Burlington, and colleagues examined stroke risk among middle-aged and older adults with and without migraine. A total of 30,239 non-Hispanic Black and White adults aged 45 years or older across the contiguous United States were enrolled in 2003 to 2007 and followed for stroke. At a second visit in 2013 to 2016, participants were asked about migraine history.

A total of 11,381 participants were followed for a mean of 6.4 years. The researchers found that 3.9 percent of participants with migraine experienced incident stroke, including 4.7 and 3.3 percent with and without aura, respectively, compared with 3.4 percent of participants without migraine. The overall association of migraine for ischemic stroke was nonsignificant (hazard ratio [HR], 1.35; 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 0.98 to 1.87); no association was seen for migraine without aura (HR, 1.10; 95 percent CI, 0.70 to 1.72), while migraine with aura was associated with significantly increased risk (HR, 1.73; 95 percent CI, 1.12 to 2.65). The highest risk for ischemic stroke was seen for men aged younger than 72 years with migraine, with or without aura (HR, 3.67; 95 percent CI, 1.96 to 6.88), when stratified by sex and age. No associations were seen in women or older men. No migraine-by-race interaction was seen.

"Our result that middle-aged and older male participants under age 72 had a much higher risk of stroke was unexpected," Sprouse Blum said in a statement. "Future studies are needed to better understand these findings. Should the findings be confirmed, it may be necessary to provide targeted stroke prevention counseling for individuals in this age group."

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Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

Source: HealthDay

Posted : 2026-05-27 03:04

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