Migraine Sufferers at Possible Risk for Parkinson’s Disease Later in Life

According to a new study published in the journal Neurology, migraine sufferers may be at greater risk for developing Parkinson’s disease or other movement disorders later in life. Additionally, the study found that those who have migraine with aura may be at double the risk for developing a movement disorder.  Researchers studied 5,620 people between the ages of 33 and 65 for more than 25 years. At the beginning of the study, 3,924 participants did not suffer from headaches, 1,028 had headaches without migraine symptoms, 238 had migraine with no aura and 430 had migraine with aura. They later assessed whether participants had any symptoms of Parkinson’s disease or had been diagnosed with the disease, or if they had symptoms of Willis-Ekbom disease, a related disorder more commonly known as restless leg syndrome (RLS). The results of the study showed that people with migraine and aura were more than twice as likely to be diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease compared to those without headaches. A total of 2.4 percent of those with migraine and aura had the disease, compared to 1.1 percent of those without headaches. Women with migraine and aura were also more likely to have a family history of Parkinson’s disease compared to those without headaches. “These findings suggest that there may be a shared vulnerability to migraine and parkinsonism in a small number of people. This could be related to dysfunction in the brain messenger dopamine, head injury, cerebrovascular disease, or some other mechanism,” said one of the study’s authors. To read more about this study, click here.