Closing hole in heart may ease migraines

A simple procedure may be the key to relief for some who suffer from frequent and severe migraine headaches. In a new study, researchers found significant improvement of migraines following catheter-based closure of the patent foramen ovale (PFO) - a slight opening in the wall between the heart's right and left atria. Each of us has a PFO in the womb to divert blood away from the lungs, but it closes for three out of four people after birth, researchers said. Previous studies have already found that when a PFO is closed, whether it's following a stroke or decompression illness, migraines tend to improve in the approximately 75 percent of cases. This was the first study to enroll patients with severe migraine, a large PFO and no history of stroke or transient ischemic attacks. However, the patients did have silent brain lesions, which were revealed on magnetic resonance imaging. Source: Journal of the American College of Cardiology: Cardiovascular Interventions, February 2009 - redOrbit