title: Course of frequent/daily headache in the general population and in medical practice.
abstract: Frequent headache is defined as headaches ≥ 15 days/month and daily headache operationally as headaches ≥ 5 days/week. In this article, we review the outcome of frequent/ daily headache in the general population and in medical practice. In the general population, within 1 year fewer than half of those with frequent/daily headache will still have frequent/daily headache, with a gradual further decrease over subsequent years. In medical practice, the results of studies suggest a one-third reduction in headache days/month over 6 to 12 months, with nearly 40% of patients with frequent/daily improving ≥ 50% in headache days/month over the same time period (50% responder rate). In terms of predictors of poor outcome, no clear picture emerges.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Egilius L H
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Spierings
authors.forename: Willem K P
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Mutsaerts
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends*; D006261:Headache / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D020773:Headache Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome