Evaluation of plasma homocysteine level in ischemic stroke patients according to migraine history

Background: As yet migraine has been established as one of the risk factors for ischemic stroke. Some of the factors have been assessed for the explanation of this relation. Hyperhomocysteinemia is seen partly both in stroke and in migraine. This study was conducted to determine the mean plasma levels of homocysteine in ischemic stroke patients on the basis of migraine history.Methods: This cross-sectional study comprised of 100 consecutive patients who were admitted in Neurology Ward of Zanjan Vali Asr Hospital with definite ischemic stroke diagnosis (during 2008). In each patient, the age, gender, history and type of migraine, the time interval from the last migraine attack to stroke and fasting total plasma homocysteine level were ascertained. Results: The mean level of total plasma homocysteine was 26.6±9.6 µmol/l. Fourteen out of 100 patients admitted with ischemic stroke had a history of migraine. The mean of plasma homocysteine did not differ significantly between the two groups with and without migraine (29.93±14.45 versus 26.1±8.6µmol/l, p=0.165). Overall, 83% of patients had hyperhomocysteinemia, wherea,s this state was observed for 92.9% of migrainous and 81.4% of nonmigrainous subjects. The proportion of hyperhomocysteinemia was not different between these two groups (p=0.29). There were not any significant differences regarding the mean plasma levels of homocysteine regarding age, sex, migraine type, the time interval from the last migraine attack to stroke and vascular territory of stroke between these two groups.Conclusion: The results show that the mean levels of homocysteine in ischemic stroke patients who had migraine was similar to those without migraine.