Migraine Sufferers May Have Higher Risk of Developing Dementia, Study Says

A study published in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry suggests women prone to migraine headaches may be more susceptible to dementia, reports the New York Post . The researchers examined 679 individuals older than 65, to find the migraine-dementia connection was strongest for Alzheimer's. One implication is that older women with dementia were three times more likely to have suffered migraines than those without dementia. "Identifying a link to migraines provides us with a rationale to guide new strategies to prevent Alzheimer's disease," noted University of Waterloo Professor Suzanne Tyas. Such approaches could include more intensive screening of people with migraines to look for degeneration in brain function. "Identifying a midlife risk factor, such as migraines, enables earlier detection of at-risk individuals," Tyas said.