Tag: study

Chronic Migraine, Community, Friends & Family

Participate in a Research Survey on Chronic Migraine & Couples

Kerrie Smyres

Everyone with chronic migraine knows it takes a massive toll on romantic relationships and families, but there’s little research on the topic. Here’s your chance to help remedy that. Karen Bacher, a migraineur and family studies PhD student at the University of New Mexico, is recruiting couples to complete an online survey to study the impact of migraine on the families of women with chronic migraine. By sharing her findings, she hopes to raise awareness among health care providers, counselors, and patients’ families.

Participants need to be married or cohabitating heterosexual couples between the ages of 21 and 55. The female must have chronic migraine, while their male partner must not have migraine. Partners will complete an online survey separately, which takes about 45 minutes per person. At the end of the survey, participants will have the option of entering a drawing for a $100 Visa gift card.

Couples interested in participating may contact Karen at bacher@unm.edu for full eligibility criteria, benefits of participation, and the survey link.

Although I haven’t seen the survey, I’ve been emailing with Karen and am really excited about this research project, which is for her dissertation. I believe Karen “gets” the severity and impact of migraine and genuinely wants to do her part to improve the lives of chronic migraineurs. In case you’re not sure, it may help to know she’s had migraine for 29 years and gets no relief from medication, while her sister is disabled due to migraine.

I’m unable to participate because Hart has episodic migraine, but I urge you to do so if you fit the criteria. Understanding the weight of chronic migraine on families and romantic relationships is one crucial element in de-stigmatizing this illness. It could also improve our care from doctors and therapists. And, of course, anything that helps families better comprehend the plight of migraine is a boon to all migraineurs.

News & Research

Migraine Linked to Blood Clots in Veins

Kerrie Smyres

People with migraine may be more likely to develop blood clots in their veins than those without, according to a study published today. Called venous thrombosis or thromboembolism, the blood clots can lead to strokes. Researchers speculate this is why people with migraine have a greater risk of stroke.

Studies of stroke and migraine implicate only people who have visual auras with their migraines. I wonder what migraine types the blood clot study participants had.

From Science Daily:

Of the [574] participants, 111 people had migraine. A total of 21 people with migraine also had one or more instances of venous thrombosis, or 19 percent. In comparison, 35 people without migraine had the condition, or 8 percent.

Researchers do not know why migraine and venous thrombosis are linked. One theory is that the blood of people with migraine may be more prone to clotting.

The study also found that people with migraine are not more likely to have hardening or narrowing of the arteries, which is contrary to a current theory.

News & Research, Treatment

Following Directions for Better Health

Kerrie Smyres

Taking meds exactly as prescribed may have a placebo effect of its own. An analysis of 21 clinical trials shows that whether participants took the active drug or a placebo, those who took the drugs as prescribed had 44% fewer deaths than those who didn’t follow the instructions.

The author of an editorial that accompanies the study, which was published in the July 1 issue of the British Medical Journal, asserts that this is evidence of the mind-body connection of the feeling of being cared for by one’s doctors and caring for oneself.