London: Migraine headaches are associated with an increased risk of developing dementia, a new study has revealed.
In the study, published in the Journal of Headache and Pain, researchers analyzed data from the Korean National Health Insurance Screening from 2002 to 2019 to determine whether patients who had migraines were more likely than those who did. Whether or not migraine sufferers are at increased risk of dementia.
A total of 88 thousand 390 people’s data was reviewed by scientists, in which 44 thousand 195 people were suffering from migraine while the rest 44 thousand 195 people were not suffering from migraine.
Migraine is a neurological problem characterized by severe headaches and often accompanied by symptoms of ‘aura’. This sign carries the risks of stroke and heart attack.
Migraine affects 15% of the world’s population and mostly affects the young and middle-aged, while dementia affects the elderly.
In the new study, scientists looked at the risk of different types of dementia after a migraine diagnosis in a 16-year follow-up.
In the study, 139.6 cases of dementia were found in every 10,000 patients suffering from migraine, while the rate was 107.7 cases in patients who did not suffer from dementia.
The researchers said that the migraine patients were more likely to develop dementia.
