Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41233752›Full record

SynthesisThe journal of headache and pain2025

Migraine and pregnancy-related headaches as a risk factor for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events in pregnancy: a systematic review and meta-analysis of over 94 million pregnancies.

Mohamed I Mohamed, Rana Sameh, Michael Salib, Reem H Ismail, Nada M Badawy, Mona A F Nada

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in The journal of headache and pain, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Mohamed I MohamedFaculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Champollion Street, Al Mesallah Sharq, Al Attarin, Alexandria Governorate, Alexandria, 5372066, Egypt. moh.17603@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0001-8618-1898
Rana SamehFaculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Champollion Street, Al Mesallah Sharq, Al Attarin, Alexandria Governorate, Alexandria, 5372066, Egypt.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0003-3036-8797
Michael SalibFaculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Champollion Street, Al Mesallah Sharq, Al Attarin, Alexandria Governorate, Alexandria, 5372066, Egypt.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0001-1281-6141
Reem H IsmailFaculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Champollion Street, Al Mesallah Sharq, Al Attarin, Alexandria Governorate, Alexandria, 5372066, Egypt.
Nada M BadawyFaculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Champollion Street, Al Mesallah Sharq, Al Attarin, Alexandria Governorate, Alexandria, 5372066, Egypt.
Mona A F NadaDepartment of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8969-8825

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMigraine is prevalent among women of childbearing age and is associated with increased long-term cardiovascular and cerebrovascular risk. Pregnancy, a hypercoagulable state, may potentiate these risks. This study aimed to quantify the association between migraine or pregnancy-related headaches and cerebrovascular and cardiovascular events during pregnancy and the postpartum period.

methodsWe conducted a PRISMA-compliant systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies comparing pregnant women with and without migraine or pregnancy-related headaches. PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched through May 8, 2025. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) were pooled using random-effects models.

resultsTwelve studies encompassing 94,195,776 pregnancies met the inclusion criteria. Migraine was associated with markedly increased odds of all strokes and transient ischemic attacks (OR 10.45; 95% CI 4.27-25.57) and ischemic stroke (OR 7.14; 95% CI 2.51-20.31). Hemorrhagic stroke risk was elevated but not statistically significant overall (OR 2.25; 95% CI 0.99-5.18), while subarachnoid hemorrhage showed a 69% increased odds. Regarding cardiovascular events: myocardial infarction risk increased by 96%, peripartum cardiomyopathy odds were 2.68-fold (95% CI 1.73-4.14), and spontaneous coronary artery dissection odds were 9.21-fold higher (95% CI 3.72-22.82). All included studies were rated as "good" quality by the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale.

conclusionsMigraine and pregnancy-related headaches are independent risk factors for a broad spectrum of cerebrovascular and cardiovascular events during pregnancy and the puerperium. These findings highlight the need for heightened clinical surveillance, targeted cardiovascular risk counselling, and multidisciplinary management strategies for this population.

Indexed as

Cardiovascular DiseasesCerebrovascular DisordersMigraine DisordersPregnancy ComplicationsPregnancy Complications, CardiovascularFemaleHumansIschemic StrokePregnancyRisk FactorsCardiovascular diseaseCerebrovascular diseaseHeadacheMigraineMyocardial infarctionPregnancyStroke

Identifiers

PMID41233752
PMCPMC12616990

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.