Doctors study whether migraines are connected to a common heart defect

• Doctors are examining whether migraines are linked to a common heart defect.
• One in four people have a valve-like hole, which can be closed using keyhole surgery, but it is twice as common among a type of migraine sufferer.
• The theory is that closing this hole will ensure blood going through the heart is always filtered through the lungs on the way to the brain - thus removing chemicals that are thought to play a role in causing migraine.
• Researchers are now looking for volunteers who suffer migraines with aura - one of the most severe types of the condition.
• "If the trial supports our theories about a migraine-PFO link, it could be the most significant development in treatment for over a decade."
• Dr Peter Wilmshurst, consultant cardiologist at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, who was one of the first doctors to make a link between the two conditions, said he hoped the study would help them improve understanding of migraines.
• "It should help us to define the appropriate course of action for patients who experience migraine attacks and also have a PFO."
• And Ann Turner, director of the Migraine Action Association added: "It is impossible for someone who has never experienced a migraine to understand its significant impact on a sufferer's quality of life - not just the attacks themselves, which are so painful and debilitating, but the constant fear of the next attack.
• "This study could revolutionise the understanding and treatment of certain migraine headaches, but we must remain cautious until the trial is completed."
• A spokeswoman for the Migraine Trust added: "At this stage it's much too early to have a clear picture on the efficacy of this procedure.
• Belinda Linden, of the British Heart Foundation, said: "There have been many reports about migraine affecting patients who have heart conditions such as a hole in the heart.