Time trends in the prevalence of headache disorders. The Nord-Trondelag Health Studies (HUNT 2 and HUNT 3).
Earlier reports regarding secular trends of migraine are conflicting, and there is a lack of long-term follow-up studies of other headache syndromes among adults. The aim of the present study was to assess any changes in the prevalence of the major headache types in a large adult population. With an 11-year interval, all inhabitants aged ≥20 years (n = 92,566 and 94,194) in the Norwegian county of Nord-Trøndelag were invited to participate in two cross-sectional surveys. Attendance rates were 56% and 42%. The age-adjusted 1-year prevalences, according to the diagnostic criteria of the International Headache Society, sex-ratios and attack frequencies were assessed. The migraine prevalence increased from 12.1% to 13.2% (P < 0.001), but the sex ratio did not change. The prevalence of non-migrainous headache overall decreased (26.0% vs 24.2%; P < 0.001). The prevalences of 'headache suffering' (37.4%), chronic daily headache (2.5%) and medication overuse headache (1.0%) remained stable. Apart from a small increase of migraine, headache prevalences remained essentially stable among adults in a Norwegian county during an 11-year period.
Department of Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway. mattias.linde@ntnu.no
Mattias
M
Linde
Lars Jacob
LJ
Stovner
John-Anker
JA
Zwart
Knut
K
Hagen
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D020773:Headache Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013995:Time; D055815:Young Adult