Increased headache prevalence in female adolescents and adult women with early menarche. The Head-HUNT Studies.
BACKGROUND
Age at menarche is associated with cardiovascular events and lifestyle factors such as body mass index (BMI), certain women's diseases like breast cancer and endometriosis and with occurrence of certain physical symptoms during puberty. It is unclear whether age at menarche is an independent determinant of headache.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study was to explore age of menarche in relation to headache prevalence in a large population-based study of both adolescents and adult women (HUNT).


METHODS
In the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study in Norway 1995-97 (HUNT 2), a total of 26,636 (57%) of 46,506 invited women responded to questions regarding menarche and headache (Head-HUNT). In the youth part of HUNT 2, 3196 female students were interviewed about their headache complaints and 2766 (87%) responded to questions regarding menarche. All the final analyses were adjusted for age, use of oral contraceptives and BMI, and for adults also for educational level.


RESULTS
Headache was more prevalent amongst females with menarche ≤ 12 years, both amongst adolescents (OR=1.3, 95% CI=1.1-1.5) and adults (OR=1.1, 95% CI=1.1-1.2), evident for migraine and non-migrainous headache.


CONCLUSIONS
Headache, both migraine and non-migrainous headache, was more prevalent amongst both adolescents and adult females with early menarche. Early menarche may increase headache susceptibility, or be a consequence of a common pathogenetic factor, e.g., sensitivity to estrogens.
Aegidius
K L
KL
Norwegian National Headache Centre, St. Olav's University Hospital, Trondheim, and Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.|Department of Neurology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Zwart
J-A
JA
Norwegian National Headache Centre, St. Olav's University Hospital, Trondheim, and Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.|Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.|Department of Neurology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo.
Hagen
K
K
Norwegian National Headache Centre, St. Olav's University Hospital, Trondheim, and Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
Dyb
G
G
Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.|National Centre of Violence and Traumatic Stress and University of Oslo.
Holmen
T L
TL
HUNT research centre, Institute of Public Health and General Practice, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
Stovner
L J
LJ
Norwegian National Headache Centre, St. Olav's University Hospital, Trondheim, and Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008572:Menarche / Q000502:physiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult