Years of Migraine Attacks and Hot Flashes Tied to Heart Risks After Menopause
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Middle-aged women who experience migraine or hot flashes may not necessarily have an increased risk of heart issues — unless they deal with both these problems for years — two new studies suggest.
“Women with migraines only or hot flashes that weren’t prolonged and severe were not at particularly increased risk,” says the lead study author, Catherine Kim, MD, MPH, an associate professor of medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, and epidemiology at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
“We found that only women with severe prolonged hot flashes preceding or beginning at around age 40, as well as migraine, had greater cardiovascular risk,” Dr. Kim says.
What Are Vasomotor Symptoms of Menopause?
Hot flashes and night sweats are what’s known as vasomotor symptoms of menopause, meaning that they develop in part as a result of changes in the blood vessels. Migraine is also associated with shifts in the way that blood vessels expand and contract.
Women go through menopause when they stop menstruating, usually in their forties or fifties. Reduced production of the hormones estrogen and progesterone in the years leading up to menopause and afterward can lead to a wide range of symptoms, including mood swings, joint pain, vaginal dryness, insomnia, memory problems, and hot flashes and night sweats.
How Estrogen Levels Affect Migraine Risk
Migraine is also often related to estrogen supplies. This is one reason why some women get migraine attacks during their periods or after ovulation — points during the menstrual cycle when estrogen levels are lower, says Susan Davis, MBBS, PhD, a professor and the director of women’s health research at Monash University in Clayton, Australia.
“So it is no surprise that migraines and vasomotor symptoms are associated,” says Dr. Davis, who wasn’t involved in either of the new studies.
One limitation of both new studies is that they weren’t designed to determine whether or how migraine or persistent hot flashes might directly cause events like heart attacks or strokes. These studies also didn’t examine whether treating migraine or vasomotor symptoms might influence cardiovascular risk as women age.
Even so, all women — whether they have migraine or not — should focus on things within their control early in adulthood that may reduce their risk of heart disease, heart attacks, and strokes down the line, Kim advises.
“Even if their cardiovascular risk factors are unremarkable at this age, they may be at greater future risk for heart disease, and they should pay attention to optimizing weight, blood pressure, glucose, cholesterol, and most importantly, cigarette use,” Kim says.
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