Migraine with aura involves both the symptoms of a classic migraine along with a visual/olfactory warning that precedes a migraine attack. Research shows a connection between this type of migraine and elevated levels of lipids, particularly cholesterol and triglycerides.
The research, published in the journal Cephalalgia, examined the lipid profiles of patients with an average age of 69. Of the 166 participants with migraine, 23 reported migraine with aura. It was those folks experiencing migraine with aura who had a six-fold risk of having high cholesterol, as well as a strong association with elevated levels of triglycerides.
“No other headache forms in the elderly population were associated with increased lipid levels,” the researchers told Internal Medicine News. 1
Previous research had confirmed the link among younger populations, and the link seems to be stronger among females.2
So why the link? “It is possible that increased cholesterol levels may trigger migraine with aura attacks in some susceptible individuals,” the researchers wrote in Cephalalgia. “However, our data provides only indirect evidence to support such a hypothesis.” The researchers call for more research to explain the connection.
References:
2. Cephalalgia.
