Close up image of a caretaker helping older woman walk

Regular smokers who experience migraines have an increased risk of stroke, according to study results published in Neurology.

The combination of smoking and intense headaches could cause vascular changes in the body, including the interruption of blood supply to the brain, researchers from the University of Miami and Columbia University found.

Approximately 1,300 people over the age of 68 were analyzed for 11 years. Those who only experienced migraines did not indicate a greater risk of stroke, but also being a smoker increased the risk, data showed.

The researchers could not prove the results were coincidental. However, migraines have been connected with stroke risk in previous studies, especially in young women, according to a statement from Neurology publishers.