TL;DR

  • Women with migraine with aura had about double the risk of heart attack or stroke

  • Study followed ~28,000 women for 12 years

  • Risk increase was specific to migraines with aura, not migraine overall

  • Aura symptoms include visual changes, flashes of light, and dizziness

  • Findings suggest a vascular connection, not just a headache disorder

Research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (July 19, 2006; 296(3):283–291) suggests that women who experience migraine headaches with aura have a higher long-term risk of cardiovascular events, including heart attack and stroke.

In this large prospective study, researchers followed nearly 28,000 women who were free of cardiovascular disease at the start of the study. Participants were monitored for 12 years, with careful tracking of migraine history and cardiovascular outcomes.

Women who reported migraines with aura had approximately twice the risk of heart attack or stroke compared with women who did not experience migraines. This increased risk was not observed to the same degree in women with migraines that occurred without aura.

An aura refers to a group of neurological symptoms that often precede the headache phase of a migraine. These symptoms can include:

  • Flashes or spots of light

  • Visual disturbances (including temporary vision loss)

  • Dizziness or sensory changes

What This Means

This research highlights that migraine with aura may be more than a neurological condition alone. Instead, it may reflect broader vascular or endothelial factors that influence long-term cardiovascular health. While the study does not establish a direct cause-and-effect relationship, it does suggest that migraine with aura can serve as a marker of increased cardiovascular risk in some women.