title: [Age as an independent risk factor for secondary headaches].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To verify if the age is a risk factor for secondary headaches, regardless the time interval since the onset of the headache complaint.
  
  
  METHODS
  1131 patients were selected, with the main complaint of headache. The ratio of secondary headaches was evaluated and compared between young and elderly patients in general; between individuals with headache starting before and after 60 years of age; and between young and elderly subjects with headache having started for less than one year.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Elderly patients in general and individuals with headache having started after 60 years of age presented a higher ratio of secondary headaches than the young subjects and the ones whose pain started before 60 years of age. Elderly subjects with headache of recent start presented a higher ratio of secondary headaches than young individuals with the same time of pain evolution.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Age is an independent risk factor for secondary headaches, regardless the time interval since the onset of the complaint.
authors.affiliation: Setor de Investigação de Cefaléia, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Neterói, RJ, Brazil. janoasouza@terra.com.br
authors.forename: Jano Alves de
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.forename: Pedro Ferreira
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Moreira Filho
authors.forename: Carla da Cunha
authors.initials: Cda C
authors.lastname: Jevoux
authors.forename: Sérgio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Albertino
authors.forename: Elder Machado
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Sarmento
authors.forename: Cláudio Manoel
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Brito
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors