Migraine heart link and genetic defect identified

A study by researchers from the British Heart Association discovered that about half of the 109 patients who saw flashing lights during a migraine had a heart defect. The lights seen are referred to as aura, and the heart condition is known as a Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO), a hole in the heart. About one in ten people experience aura during a migraine. This finding may suggest that when other treatments for migraines have failed, the condition could possibly be fixed by closing the hole in the heart. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12912951 One in every five people suffer from migraines. Treatment of the throbbing pain is often unsuccesful, so scientists are considering the root of the problem. They have made another discovery of a possible cause of the headaches: a specific gene that is flawed in many migraine sufferers. This gene protects the brain from environmental factors triggering pain centers that cause severe headaches; in many migrain patients, this gene was found inactive. Further research is being made to find exactly what controls the excitability of the nerves in the parts of the brain causing migraines. The lead targeting the genetic defect provides further assistance to discovering a therapy that is effective in treating migraines. With more research on which gene is directly responsible, a drug can possibly be made to activate the gene. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11408113