title: Migraine as a predictor of mortality: The HUNT study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is conflicting evidence for the association between migraine and increased mortality risk. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between migraine and non-migrainous headache, and all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this prospective population-based cohort study from Norway, we used baseline data from the second Nord-Trøndelag Health Survey (HUNT2), performed between 1995 and 1997 in the County of Nord-Trøndelag. These data were linked with a comprehensive mortality database with follow-up through the year 2011. A total of 51,853 (56% of invited) people were categorized based on their answers to the headache questions in HUNT2 (headache free, migraine or non-migrainous headache). Hazard ratios (HRs) of mortality during a mean of 14.1 years of follow-up were estimated using Cox regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the follow-up period 9408 died, 4321 of these from cardiovascular causes. There was no difference in all-cause mortality between individuals with migraine and non-migrainous headache compared to those without headache or between headache status and mortality by cardiovascular disease. There was, however, among men with migraine without aura a reduced risk of death by cardiovascular diseases (HR 0.72, 95% confidence interval 0.56-0.93). This relationship was not evident in women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this large, prospective cohort study there was no evidence for a higher all-cause mortality or cardiovascular mortality among individuals with migraine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway aasberg1@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Anders Nikolai
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Åsberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway Norwegian Advisory Unit of Headache, St Olavs Hospital, Norway.
authors.forename: Lars Jacob
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Stovner
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and FORMI; Oslo University Hospital, Norway Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: John-Anker
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Zwart
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and FORMI; Oslo University Hospital, Norway Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Bendik Slagsvold
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Winsvold
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and FORMI; Oslo University Hospital, Norway.
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Heuch
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway Norwegian Advisory Unit of Headache, St Olavs Hospital, Norway.
authors.forename: Knut
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hagen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality*; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality*; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Headache; general population; migraine; mortality