Chronic daily headache in Taipei, Taiwan: prevalence, follow-up and outcome predictors.
We conducted a two-stage population-based headache survey among subjects aged > or = 15 in Taipei, Taiwan. Subjects with chronic daily headache (CDH) in the past year were identified, interviewed and followed-up. CDH was defined as a headache frequency > 15 days/month, with a duration > 4 h/day. Of the 3377 participants, 108 (3.2%) fulfilled the criteria for CDH, with a higher prevalence in women (4.3%) than men (1.9%). TM was the most common subtype (55%), followed by CTTH (44%). Thirty-four per cent of the CDH subjects overused analgesics. At the 2-year follow-up, 35% of the CDH subjects still had CDH. The significant predictors for persistent CDH at follow-up included: older age ( > or = 40 years) (RR = 2.4), CDH onset after 32 years (RR = 1.8), CDH duration > or = 6 years (RR = 2.0), medication overuse (RR = 1.8), and "daily" headache (RR = 2.1). We found that CDH is not uncommon in the community and its prevalence is similar among different populations. Older subjects and those with medication overuse may have a more protracted course of illness.
Lu
S R
SR
Neurological Institute, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
Fuh
J L
JL
Chen
W T
WT
Juang
K D
KD
Wang
S J
SJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D020773:Headache Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology
D000700:Analgesics