A study published in the journal Neurology has found that individuals who suffer from migraine headaches are twice as likely to have heart attacks compared to people who don’t have migraines.

Researchers analyzed data on 6,102 people with migraines and 5,243 people without migraines. Participants completed questionnaires that asked about general health, headache frequency, severity and symptoms as well as a broad range of medically diagnosed cardiovascular symptoms and events.

They found that people who have the headaches have a 4.1 percent chance of having a heart attack, compared to a 1.9 percent risk among those without them. In addition, those who have migraine with auras have an even greater risk.

The study also found that migraine sufferers face an increased risk for stroke and are more likely to have key risk factors for cardiovascular disease, including diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

"Migraine has been viewed as a painful condition that affects quality of life, but not as a threat to people’s overall health," said the study’s lead investigator Dr. Richard Lipton. "Our study suggests that migraine is not an isolated disorder and that, when caring for people with migraine, we should also be attentive to detecting and treating their cardiovascular risk factors."