Chronic headaches are one of the most common conditions causing a person to seek out a health care professional. Recently, a study was done concerning migraine headaches and cardiovascular risk.
The study of 50,000 people with migraine headaches, were matched with 500,000 to analyze the difference in cardiovascular risk. The median age at diagnosis was 35 years, and the study was comprised of 71% women. They were followed for nineteen years.
The study showed the highest risk of vascular disease was within the first year after migraine diagnosis. During this first year, stroke risk increased eight fold, with a two fold risk of heart attack, venous thromboembolism, and atrial fibrillation or flutter.
The absolute risks were small, but the associations persisted long term and were stronger in those patients with migraine aura, and in the women compared with men.
When looking at the most common treatment for migraine, we see the drug Imitrex is a combination of an SSRI, also known as a serotonin re-uptake inhibitor and an anti-histamine.
A migraine headache is a vascular headache where the vessels in the brain have dilated and are pressing against the brain tissue, creating a crushing sensation. When the neurotransmitter serotonin is depressed, we see where this dilation occurs. In people who suffer depression, there is commonly a condition of low serotonin, thus, the use of these kind of drugs to deal with this condition.
Besides depression and migraines, depressed serotonin can create issues of OCD, or obsessive, compulsive, disorder. It would be relevant if the study went further to establish how many of these patients with migraine also suffered OCD.
The other component of the drug dealing with histamine is because a histamine overload will also cause vascular dilation, creating pressure on these tissues. Histamine is increased with any kind of systemic allergies. With the increased food sensitivities we’re seeing today in our society, this can be a lead in for headaches. Undigested food leaking into the bloodstream can set up inflammatory response which can lead into increased stroke and heart attack potential.
When using the drug to deal with migraine, we see where the vessels return to proper size, but the root problem remains un-addressed. Here is where correcting digestion is paramount. In addition, we see where associated nutrients required to maintain vascular health must be supplied.
The heart friendly B vitamins are often lacking when we see chronic headaches. Often when a patient arrives in the office with a headache, giving a dose of the B vitamin Inositol can dramatically reduce a headache within a few minutes. This B vitamin is dependent on proper liver function to be extracted from our foods.
Clearance of histamine from the body requires the hepatocytes in the liver to do their job, as this is where we process it out of the system. If the liver is compromised in it’s ability to clear this from the system, even minor production of histamine can create headaches.
Since emotional stress affects our metabolism and clearance of metabolic substances through the liver, it’s been proposed that feelings of guilt can trigger increased histamine production, while reducing serotonin. This being said, our biochemistry is impacted by what we eat, how well we clear wastes, and the emotions we entertain.
The anatomy of a headache is multi-tiered. Covering it with pain medication is still not getting to the root. If we fail to identify the causative factors we can set the stage for cardiovascular accidents, that really aren’t accidents at all. They are a cause and effect response.
In a recent report on NASAIDs, or non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like Ibuprofen, it’s estimated that 15% of users exceed the safe limits of these drugs. This abuse is linked to higher risk of heart attack, gastrointestinal bleeding, liver damage, and other adverse effects.
The study of 50,000 people with migraine headaches, were matched with 500,000 to analyze the difference in cardiovascular risk. The median age at diagnosis was 35 years, and the study was comprised of 71% women. They were followed for nineteen years.
The study showed the highest risk of vascular disease was within the first year after migraine diagnosis. During this first year, stroke risk increased eight fold, with a two fold risk of heart attack, venous thromboembolism, and atrial fibrillation or flutter.
The absolute risks were small, but the associations persisted long term and were stronger in those patients with migraine aura, and in the women compared with men.
When looking at the most common treatment for migraine, we see the drug Imitrex is a combination of an SSRI, also known as a serotonin re-uptake inhibitor and an anti-histamine.
A migraine headache is a vascular headache where the vessels in the brain have dilated and are pressing against the brain tissue, creating a crushing sensation. When the neurotransmitter serotonin is depressed, we see where this dilation occurs. In people who suffer depression, there is commonly a condition of low serotonin, thus, the use of these kind of drugs to deal with this condition.
Besides depression and migraines, depressed serotonin can create issues of OCD, or obsessive, compulsive, disorder. It would be relevant if the study went further to establish how many of these patients with migraine also suffered OCD.
The other component of the drug dealing with histamine is because a histamine overload will also cause vascular dilation, creating pressure on these tissues. Histamine is increased with any kind of systemic allergies. With the increased food sensitivities we’re seeing today in our society, this can be a lead in for headaches. Undigested food leaking into the bloodstream can set up inflammatory response which can lead into increased stroke and heart attack potential.
When using the drug to deal with migraine, we see where the vessels return to proper size, but the root problem remains un-addressed. Here is where correcting digestion is paramount. In addition, we see where associated nutrients required to maintain vascular health must be supplied.
The heart friendly B vitamins are often lacking when we see chronic headaches. Often when a patient arrives in the office with a headache, giving a dose of the B vitamin Inositol can dramatically reduce a headache within a few minutes. This B vitamin is dependent on proper liver function to be extracted from our foods.
Clearance of histamine from the body requires the hepatocytes in the liver to do their job, as this is where we process it out of the system. If the liver is compromised in it’s ability to clear this from the system, even minor production of histamine can create headaches.
Since emotional stress affects our metabolism and clearance of metabolic substances through the liver, it’s been proposed that feelings of guilt can trigger increased histamine production, while reducing serotonin. This being said, our biochemistry is impacted by what we eat, how well we clear wastes, and the emotions we entertain.
The anatomy of a headache is multi-tiered. Covering it with pain medication is still not getting to the root. If we fail to identify the causative factors we can set the stage for cardiovascular accidents, that really aren’t accidents at all. They are a cause and effect response.
In a recent report on NASAIDs, or non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like Ibuprofen, it’s estimated that 15% of users exceed the safe limits of these drugs. This abuse is linked to higher risk of heart attack, gastrointestinal bleeding, liver damage, and other adverse effects.
RSS Feed