The Link Between Migraines And Chest Pain

The link between migraines and the risk of coronary heart disease has been debated for many years. A recent study shows no link between the two but does show people with migraine headaches report more chest pain, also known as angina.

People with a history of migraines or other headaches with aura -- seeing what appears to be spots or lines in front of their eyes were three-times more likely to report a history of chest pain than those without a history of headaches. This held true after adjusting for other factors including race, age, hypertension, smoking and cholesterol.

Thus researchers say their findings suggest a higher prevalence of chest pain and not coronary disease, among those with migraines or other severe headaches, however they also emphasize their study results do not imply people with migraines that have chest pain to ignore it, as chest pain is an important symptom of a number of conditions.