Migraines linked to heart defect

British researchers have linked migraines to a heart defect called a patent foramen ovale, or PFO, which often has no symptoms.

Researchers at Kings College Hospital in London and the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital received approval to look at whether correcting the defect via keyhole surgery cures migraines.

One in four people have the valve-like hole, but it is twice as common among migraine sufferers.

Lead researcher Dr. Andrew Dowson said the cause of PFO is unknown, and there are no known risk factors for developing a PFO.

The majority of people who have one will remain unaware of it. PFO may allow venous blood, unfiltered by the lungs, to enter the arterial circulation of the brain -- removing chemicals that may play role in causing migraine.

"While there are many migraine treatments that help control symptoms, as yet there is no cure for migraine," Dowson said.

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