More than half of the population suffers from headaches according to a Norwegian study. Women are more affected than men by migraines. The point on the question.
Half of the world’s population is affected by a headache every year of which 14% by migraines according to one study from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), published on April 12 in the British journal The Journal of Headache and Pain (Headache and Pain Diary). Women are more prone to headaches only men. A headache means a pain felt at the level of the cranium.
The researchers pooled data from 357 headache studies published between 1961 and 2020. The majority of the publications considered were for adults between 20 and 65 years oldbut some also included adolescents and children up to 5 years old, and people over the age of 65. “52% of the world’s population has suffered from a headache disorder in a given year, 14% reporting a migrainewith 26% reporting a tension headache and 4.6% reporting recurrent headaches on at least 15 days per month“develop scientists.
Migraines are more common in women
“Of the population with headache, 44.4% are men and 57.8% are women, of people with migraines, 8.6% are men and 17% are women. Overall, and among women, migraine was most common between the ages of 20 and 64while for men it was slightly higher between ages 10 and 19“specify the authors of the study.It probably has to do with the female sex hormones, and in particular fluctuations in estrogen. In addition, the living situation of women can play a role“, argues Lars Jacob Stovner, professor of neurology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in the Parisian April 13.
If the study seems to show an increase in migraines over the years, the researchers qualify this result by hypothesizing factors, not taken into account up to now, and probably linked such as the genetics, climate, light, altitude, stress or pollution. They add that this data is probably linked to methodological developments that have strengthened the techniques access to better diagnostics. “Overall, head disorders are very common around the world and can be a heavy burden. It might also be interesting in the future analyze the different causes of headaches that vary from group to group to more effectively target the prevention and treatment” recommends Lars Jacob Stovner, lead author of the study. Moreover, he recalls that the 357 publications studied come mainly from high-income countries with developed health systems and that it would be relevant to carry out the same study in the lower income countries.
Sources:
– Global headache prevalence: an update, with an analysis of the influences of methodological factors on prevalence estimates, The Journal of Headache and Pain, 12 April 2022
– Global headache estimates suggest the disorder affects more than 50% of the population, BMC, 12 April 2022