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| This news site is not sanctioned by, nor part of, the Diamond Headache Foundation, The American Academy of Neurology OR The American Headache Society. |
| News covering selected sessions related to migraine from 2008 medical conferences. |
| Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology |
Chicago, IL April 15-18, 2008 |
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Data Strengthen Link between Patent
Foramen Ovale, Migraine |
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BY DON SCHRADER
Contributing Writer |
CHICAGO
(ECCC)— The association between patent foramen
ovale (PFO) and migraine encompasses migraine with or without
aura, strengthening the theory that the congenital heart
abnormality and migraine have a common genetic origin, reported
Dr. Maurizio Facheris on April 16 during the annual meeting of
the American Academy of Neurology.
About half of migraine patients with or without aura also had
PFO, compared with a fourth of individuals without a migraine
history, said Dr. Facheris of the EURAC research institute in
Bolzano, Italy. Previous studies had consistently demonstrated
an association between PFO and migraine with aura, but no clear
association had emerged in patients who have migraine without
aura.
An ongoing genomic healthcare study provided an opportunity to
continue the examination of associations between PFO and
migraine. Investigators studied 223 individuals who were
evaluated clinically for migraine and by transthoracic and
transcranial ultrasound for PFO. Dr. Facheris reported that 118
of the participants met criteria for a migraine diagnosis: 29%
had migraine with aura, 58% had migraine without aura, and 13%
had a mixed diagnosis.
Overall, PFO was identified in 51% of individuals who had
migraine with aura, 47% of those who had migraine without aura,
and 25% of the 105 study participants without a history of
migraine. Three families exhibited a high prevalence of both PFO
and migraine. Concomitant PFO and migraine was seen in 45% to
54% of family members, including as many as two thirds of
individuals who had migraine without aura.
Collectively, the results suggest that PFO might be associated
with migraine without aura as well as migraine with aura, Dr.
Facheris and his colleagues concluded. The finding that PFO is
associated with migraine irrespective of aura status strengthens
the argument that migraine and PFO have a common underlying
mechanism. The researchers added that future investigations
should focus on clarifying the nature of the association between
PFO and migraine and identifying potential mechanisms that could
cause both conditions. |
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