From: deputyfife23x@gmail.com   
      
   Migraine With Aura and Strokes? B Vitamins May HELP?   
      
   By Alexander Mauskop, MD, FAAN   
       
   People who suffer from migraines with aura are at a slightly increased risk of   
   having strokes. The cause of this association is not known. However, recent   
   research suggests that having migraine aura is also a risk factor for having a   
   genetic abnormality    
   which raises homocysteine levels. Homocysteine is an amino acid, which occurs   
   naturally in the body, but having too much homocysteine is known to increase   
   the risk of strokes and heart attacks. It is possible that the increased risk   
   of strokes in    
   migraine with aura is due to elevated homocysteine level. Having migraine with   
   aura does not increase the risk of heart attacks, so high homocysteine is   
   probably only a partial reason. Fortunately, to reduce homocysteine level all   
   one has to do is take    
   vitamins B12, B6, and folic acid. Australian researchers who discovered this   
   link between migraine with aura and high homocysteine level also conducted a   
   treatment study. They gave half of the patients vitamin supplements and the   
   other half, placebo.    
   Patients who took vitamins had lower homocysteine levels (and possibly the   
   risk of strokes) and also had fewer and milder migraine attacks, compared to   
   patients who took placebo. The dose used in the study was 2 mg of folic acid,   
   25 mg of vitamin B6, and    
   400 mcg of vitamin B12. If you suffer from migraine with aura you may want to   
   ask your doctor to check your homocysteine level. If your level is high, take   
   these vitamins - they may help with no risk of side effects.   
       
   Alexander Mauskop, MD, FAAN   
   New York Headache Center   
   30 East 76 Street   
   New York, NY 10021   
   212-794-3550   
   www.NYHeadache.com   
      
      
      
      
   http://www.americanmigrainefoundation.org/migraine-and-aura/   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)