$2.1 million awarded to research link between migraine, strokes and cardiovascular disease

DALLAS, July 26, 2023 — Existing research shows certain types of migraines can increase the risk of stroke, and there is growing evidence that they may also lead to other types of cardiovascular disease (CVD). To learn more about these connections, the American Heart Association, the world's leading nonprofit organization focused on heart and brain health for all, is providing a total of $2.1 million in grants for seven new scientific research projects. The selected teams of scientists for the “Migraine as a Risk Factor for Stroke and Cardiovascular Disease” projects are from: Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts; Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.; Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, Arizona.; Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, North Carolina; Rhode Island Hospital in Providence; the University of South Carolina in Columbia; and Yeshiva University in New York City.

“According to the American Migraine Foundation, 39 million people in the U.S. experience migraines. And while evidence suggests that migraines increase the risk of strokes and possibly other types of cardiovascular disease, there is still much we don’t know about what causes this increased risk,” said neurologist Mitchell S. V. Elkind, M.D., M.S., FAHA, chief clinical science officer of the American Heart Association. “With these new research grants, we hope to create a collaborative group of experts in migraine, cardiovascular disease, stroke, biostatistics and data science to explore these unanswered questions about the cardiovascular complications of migraine.”

Specifically, the researchers are charged with bringing new ideas to analyze and standardize migraine research data from already accumulated datasets in the American Heart Association’s Precision Medicine Platform. This platform is a state-of-the art, cloud-based system that allows researchers to collaborate and analyze large datasets from any computer in the world using a secure environment and the power of machine learning. They’ll pull from existing research on different study populations, including epidemiological studies, clinical trial data, electronic health record data, imaging data, genetic data and more.

The seven research projects, which began July 1, 2023, and are funded for up to two years each, include:

The American Heart Association has funded more than $5 billion in cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and brain health research since 1949, making it the single largest non-government supporter of heart and brain health research in the U.S. New knowledge resulting from this funding benefits millions of lives in every corner of the U.S. and around the world.

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The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. We are dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities. Through collaboration with numerous organizations, and powered by millions of volunteers, we fund innovative research, advocate for the public’s health and share lifesaving resources. The Dallas-based organization has been a leading source of health information for nearly a century. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, Twitter or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.

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Categories:The seven research projects, which began July 1, 2023, and are funded for up to two years each, include:Genetics-informed discovery of etiologic predictors of cardiovascular events among individuals with migraine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) – Artificial Intelligence ECG-Based Screening and Prediction Tool to Identify Migraine Patients at Risk for Stroke and CVD at Mayo Clinic in Rochester – Risk modeling of stroke and cardiovascular disease in patients with migraine at Mayo Clinic in Phoenix – MARS: The Migraine And Retinal Stroke Study at Duke University School of Medicine – Migraine and Stroke in Women: Leveraging the Observational and Clinical Trial Cohorts of the Women’s Health Initiative at Rhode Island Hospital (RIH) Testing the role of heart rate variability (HRV) in predicting atrial fibrillation and ischemic stroke in migraine at the University of South Carolina (USC)Migraine as a Risk Factor for Cardiovascular Events in the Veterans Health Administration at Yeshiva University (YU)Additional Resources:About the American Heart Association ###For Media Inquiries: 214-706-1173