People who suffer migraines have more than double the risk of ischemic stroke and the risk is especially high in women. Ischemic stroke, the most common type of stroke, occurs when blood supply to the brain is cut off by plaque accumulation or a blood clot.

In a new study, researchers from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine reviewed the findings of 21 studies that included a total of 622,381 men and women, aged 18 to 70, in Europe and North America. Those with migraines were 2.3 times more likely than people without migraines to suffer ischemic stroke. The risk was 2.5 times higher for migraine sufferers who experienced aura (visual disturbances such as flashing lights, zigzag lines and blurred vision), and for women experiencing aura, 2.9 times higher.

A new investigational, orally inhaled therapy has been found effective in treating migraines, according to researchers. The research team from Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania have shown that LEVADEX provided pain relief in 30 minutes and sustained relief for 48 hours.

The study participants reported significant relief from symptoms such as pain, nausea and light and sound sensitivity when compared to placebo treatment.According to trial results, this therapy provided pain relief in 30 minutes and sustained relief for 48 hours after dosing in patients with moderate or severe migraine attacks.

Courtesy: www.medindia.net

Migraine headaches affect 17% of females and 6% of males in the United States. In individuals older than 12 years, the frequency of migraines increases in both males and females. The frequency declines in individuals older than 40 years.

In the United States, white women have the highest frequency of migraine, while Asian women have the lowest. The rate of migraine headaches in females of reproductive age has increased over the last 20 years.