Here is an excerpt from the first article that helps outline the significance of this type of research:
"Finding these genetic links to Migraine is especially important because we don’t entirely understand the pathophysiology of Migraine and there have been precious few studies to help us figure it out. Learning more about how and why Migraine attacks occur will help researchers find or design specially targeted treatments for those of us who suffer Migraine. It may also be the smoking gun we need to finally turn Migraine disease into something we can diagnose by testing for something instead of simply excluding everything else we can think of to reach a diagnosis. This is called a diagnosis of exclusion and is currently the only way physicians have to determine if a patient truly suffers from Migraine disease" (Migraine Genes: X Marks the Spot).If you remember from high school biology, all females have two X chromosomes, while males have an X and a Y chromosome. "'These results provide more support for the role of the X chromosome in migraine and may explain why so many more females suffer from the disorder,' said Professor Griffiths" (New hope for migraine sufferers).
This research is a very important step in moving forward in Migraine diagnosis and treatment - "the research provides compelling evidence for a new migraine susceptibility gene involved in migraine. The study also indicated that there may be more than one X chromosomal gene involved and implicated a gene involved in iron regulation in the brain" (New hope for migraine sufferers).
This post was written as part of the Migraine Awareness Month Blogging Challenge (MAMBC), which is initiated by www.FightingHeadacheDisorders.com and the National Migraine Awareness Month is initiated by the National Headache Foundation (NHF).
