There are several conditions which have been linked to migraines and one of these is high blood pressure – or hypertension to give it it’s medical name.
Not only can repeated migraine attacks be a sign that you could have high blood pressure, but suffering from high blood pressure can put you at a greater risk of developing both chronic and episodic migraines.
The type of migraine which a person experiences has an influence on how likely it is that that person will have or develop high blood pressure in their lifetime.
One study followed nearly 30,000 women over the course of 12 years. Looking at the results of this study it was found that, when compared with women who had no history of migraine, those women who suffered from migraine without aura had a 21% increased risk of high blood pressure, while women who suffered from migraine with aura only had a 10% increased risk.
While there is certainly a link between migraine and high blood pressure, whether the relationship between migraines and high blood pressure is causal (one leading to the other), or whether there is an underlying reason behind both the migraines and the high blood pressure, is currently unknown. At present it appears as though that there may be a genetic trait which is linked to suffering both from migraines and high blood pressure, but this is yet to be confirmed.
Whatever the cause, being aware of whether you have high blood pressure or not is important for most people, but for migraine sufferers it is particularly important – as those suffering from migraines are at a greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease or strokes. Since there is currently no cure for migraines, it’s important to control any other cardiovascular disease contributing factors – such as high blood pressure.
Leave a Reply