ArticleBMC geriatrics2022
Characteristics and comorbidities of headache in patients over 50 years of age: a cross-sectional study.
Article in BMC geriatrics, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers.
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Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed, 21 citations in OpenAlex.
- The relationship between triglyceride levels and medication overuse headache in patients with chronic migraine.Journal of oral & facial pain and headache · 2026Article
- Association Between the Frailty Index and Self-Reported Headache in Middle-Aged and Older Chinese Adults: An Analysis of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study.Pain research & management · 2026Article
- The pain-comorbidity links: a cross-sectional analysis of musculoskeletal burden in Saudi older adults.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Headache in the elderly: a retrospective study in a tertiary headache center.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2025Article
- Clinical Features and Treatment Outcomes of Medication Overuse Headache in Older Patients: Insights from a Nationwide Prospective Registry.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Article
- What Is the Link Between Migraine and Hypothyroidism? A Systematic Literature Review.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Review
- Drug-induced headache reports: a comprehensive disproportionality and time-to-onset pharmacovigilance study using the FAERS database (2018-2024).Frontiers in pain research (Lausanne, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Cluster headache: an update on clinical features, epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment.Frontiers in pain research (Lausanne, Switzerland) · 2024Review
- Characterizing headache patients admitted from the emergency department: a retrospective study.Frontiers in neurology · 2024Article
- Developing an Artificial Intelligence-Based Pediatric and Adolescent Migraine Diagnostic Model.Cureus · 2023Article
- Headache Education by E-Learning Through Social Networking Services (Social Media).Journal of healthcare leadership · 2023Article
- Safety and tolerability of erenumab in individuals with episodic or chronic migraine across age groups: a pooled analysis of placebo-controlled trials.The journal of headache and pain · 2022Article
- Questionnaire-Based Survey during COVID-19 Vaccination on the Prevalence of Elderly's Migraine, Chronic Daily Headache, and Medication-Overuse Headache in One Japanese City-Itoigawa Hisui Study.Journal of clinical medicine · 2022Article
- Migraine and Tension-type Headache in Parkinson's Disease and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy/Corticobasal Syndrome.Annals of Indian Academy of NeurologyArticle
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Authors and funding
9 authors at 6 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAlthough headache is a common complaint in younger individuals, it is one of the most common complaints among persons over the age of 50 and is a significant cause of morbidity. As there are differences in the causes and types of headache, the diagnosis and management of headache in older adults differ from that in younger individuals.
methodsIn this cross-sectional study, 570 patients ≥ 50 years were recruited at a university affiliated tertiary headache center between 2016 and 2019. Demographic data, headache characteristics, and comorbid medical conditions were recorded. The presence of depression was explored using the Beck Depression Inventory. The patients were evaluated using the STOP-BANG scale to determine the risk of obstructive sleep apnea.
resultsThe mean age of the patients was 57.7 years. Seventy-three percent of the patients had primary headache disorders, with the most prevalent types being migraine, followed by tension-type headache. Secondary headaches were primarily the result of overuse of medication, cervical spine disease, and hypertension. Patients with medication-overuse headache were significantly more likely to suffer from hypothyroidism and gastrointestinal problems such as bleeding/ulcers. Irritable bowel syndrome was also more common in patients with medication-overuse headaches and migraines. The risk for obstructive sleep apnea was intermediate in 45.2% of the patients with hypertension-induced headache, but was lower in the majority of others. There was a high tendency for moderate-to-severe depression in the participants; however, the Beck Depression Inventory scores were significantly higher in medication-overuse headache patients.
conclusionProper treatment of headache in middle-aged and older adults requires the recognition of secondary causes, comorbid diseases, and drug induced or medication overuse headaches. Special attention should be paid to depression and obstructive sleep apnea in such patients suffering from headache disorders.
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