Women who suffer from migraines may be at an increased risk of cardiovascular problems like myocardial infarction and stroke, according to a US study.

Researchers analysed data from 115,541 female nurses aged 25 to 42 who entered the study in 1989 and were followed through June 2011.

Initially, 17,531 women said they had a diagnosis of migraine from a doctor. Another 6,389 reported a migraine diagnosis during the 20 years of follow up.

During that time, there were also 1,329 cardiovascular events like MI and stroke and 223 deaths related to cardiovascular disease among the women.

Women diagnosed with migraines were more likely to have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, a family history of MI, to be smokers and be overweight.

The researchers found women with migraines were 50 per cent more likely to develop cardiovascular disease

After accounting for risk factors that may influence the women’s risk for cardiovascular events, the researchers found women with migraines were 50 per cent more likely to develop cardiovascular disease than women without the severe headaches.

The results are similar to those from a study of older US women working in the health field, but limited to those who had migraines with aura. For the new study, the researchers did not know if the women experienced migraines with aura.

Lead author Tobias Kurth, director of the Institute of Public Health Charite – Universitatsmedizin Berlin in Germany, said it’s not known whether treating migraines would decrease the risk of cardiovascular events.

“We certainly hope we have the opportunity to study this, but at this point there is no data to make such a statement,” he said.

In an editorial published with the study in BMJ, Rebecca Burch and Melissa Rayhill say the new study also raises the question of whether women with migraines should be treated with aspirin or cholesterol-lowering statins.

One analysis found that women with migraines who took aspirin actually had an increased risk of MI, they added.