BACKGROUND: Migraine increases the risk of ischemic stroke and white matter hyperintensities (WMH), especially in women. Underlying shared mechanisms may include endothelial activation and hypercoagulability. We assessed these markers in middle-aged women with and without migraine and ischemic stroke to explore their role in WMH development. METHODS: We cross-sectionally measured fibrinogen and von Willebrand factor antigen (VWF:Ag) levels as markers of endothelial activation, and factor (F)IX and FXI activity (FXI:C) as markers of hypercoagulability in four groups of women aged 40-60 years with (1)ischemic stroke, (2)migraine, (3)both ischemic stroke and migraine, and (4)no stroke or migraine. Multivariable linear regression estimated mean differences in coagulation factor levels between groups 1 and 3, with group 4 as the reference. RESULTS: Among 166 women (mean age:51 years), (1) 45 had ischemic stroke, (2) 38 had migraine, (3) 48 had both, and (4) 35 had no stroke or migraine. Mean fibrinogen, FIX, and FXI:C levels were similar in all groups compared with group 4. VWF:Ag levels were higher in the ischemic stroke with migraine group (170 [57]%
adjusted β = 31%
95% CI = 6%-56%) compared with group 4, but not in the other groups. There was no association between coagulation factors and WMH volume in any group. CONCLUSIONS: In women with both stroke and migraine, VWF:Ag levels were increased, while fibrinogen, FIX, and FXI:C were not. This suggests that endothelial activation might be more relevant than a procoagulant state alone in the pathophysiology of ischemic stroke in women with migraine. Coagulation factors did not seem to be related to WMH volume, suggesting other mechanisms may be involved in their development.