Young Adults With Migraine Face an Increased Risk of Stroke, Study Finds

Young adults may face a higher risk of stroke from nontraditional risk factors such as migraine, a new study finds.

While most strokes are caused by things like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, Type 2 diabetes, smoking and obesity; researchers found an increased number of adults younger than 35 to 45 years old are suffering strokes without these conditions.

Using health data from more than 10,000 people with and without a history of stroke, the researchers found men and women 18 to 44 years of age who had migraine, blood clotting disorders, kidney failure, autoimmune diseases or malignancy had significantly greater odds of stroke compared to those with traditional risk factors.

The association was strongest in people under 35 and those with migraine, which accounted for 20% of strokes in men and nearly 35% in women 18 to 34 years old.

The lead author says, “There have been many studies demonstrating the association between migraines and strokes, but to our knowledge, this study may be the first to demonstrate just how much stroke risk may be attributable to migraines.