Depression has also been linked to a higher risk for having a stroke and lower survival rates after one. Migraine and Associated Risk Factors Studies have found that migraine or severe headache is a risk factor for stroke in both men and women, especially before age 50. Women in the study were at greatest risk between ages 45 and 65 and men before age 45. In both genders, the risk diminished with age. Oral contraceptives add to the risk for stroke in young women with migraines, but only in those who also have auras.
Smoking intensifies their risk.
Taking decongestants may also increase the risk for stroke in people with migraines. Infections Reports have indicated for some time that certain bacteria and viruses may play a role in atherosclerosis and heart disease, generally by provoking an inflammatory response in the arteries. Similar mechanisms may be at work with stroke. Some evidence linking infections with stroke is as follows. In two 2000 studies, chronic infection with Chlamydia pneumoniae, a non-bacterial organism that causes mild pneumonia in adults was linked with an increased risk for stroke.