Permanent cure for migraine tiny umbrella implanted in the heart

Main Category: Headache / Migraine
Article Date: 28 Apr 2004 - 0:00 PDT

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A tiny umbrella implanted in the heart may be a remarkable new cure for migraine.

The device is usually used for holes in the heart to stop tiny blood clots and chemicals escaping from the heart to the brain, where they may cause a stroke.

But doctors have discovered that patients who also suffered migraines experienced a dramatic drop in the number of attacks after being fitted with the device.

"We believe 30 to 40 per cent of migraines with aura are associated with a hole in the heart," says consultant cardiologist Peter Wilmshurst of the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, UK, who was one of the first to identify the link. "We found that if we close the hole, about half of patients are cured of migraine, and half get fewer attacks."

From: http://www.norwichunion.com/frameset/health_e_talk.htm

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