Medication overuse, healthy lifestyle behaviour and stress in chronic headache: Results from a population-based representative survey

TY - JOUR

T1 - Medication overuse, healthy lifestyle behaviour and stress in chronic headache

T2 - Results from a population-based representative survey

AU - Westergaard, Maria Lurenda

AU - Glümer, Charlotte

AU - Hansen, Ebba Holme

AU - Jensen, Rigmor Højland

N1 - © International Headache Society 2015 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

PY - 2016/1/1

Y1 - 2016/1/1

N2 - AIM: This cross-sectional study investigated associations between chronic headache (CH) with and without medication overuse, healthy lifestyle behaviour, and stress.METHODS: Questionnaires were sent to 129,150 adults. Those with headache ≥15 days per month for three months were classified as having CH then further described as having medication-overuse headache (MOH) or CH without medication overuse. Associations between headache and daily smoking, physical inactivity, obesity, excessive drinking, illicit drug use, and high stress were analysed by logistic regression.RESULTS: CH with and without medication overuse (prevalence 1.8% and 1.6%, respectively) had strong, graded associations with stress. Associations with daily smoking, physical inactivity, and obesity were significant only for MOH. Odds for MOH were highest among people who had all three factors compared to those who had none (OR 2.8 in women and 5.1 in men). High stress plus any of these three factors had synergistic effects in MOH but not clearly in those who had CH without overuse. Associations between CH subtypes and excessive drinking or illicit drug use were not statistically significant.CONCLUSION: Results suggest strong links between healthy lifestyle behaviour and stress in MOH. Stress reduction and promoting healthy behaviour are highly relevant in MOH management.

AB - AIM: This cross-sectional study investigated associations between chronic headache (CH) with and without medication overuse, healthy lifestyle behaviour, and stress.METHODS: Questionnaires were sent to 129,150 adults. Those with headache ≥15 days per month for three months were classified as having CH then further described as having medication-overuse headache (MOH) or CH without medication overuse. Associations between headache and daily smoking, physical inactivity, obesity, excessive drinking, illicit drug use, and high stress were analysed by logistic regression.RESULTS: CH with and without medication overuse (prevalence 1.8% and 1.6%, respectively) had strong, graded associations with stress. Associations with daily smoking, physical inactivity, and obesity were significant only for MOH. Odds for MOH were highest among people who had all three factors compared to those who had none (OR 2.8 in women and 5.1 in men). High stress plus any of these three factors had synergistic effects in MOH but not clearly in those who had CH without overuse. Associations between CH subtypes and excessive drinking or illicit drug use were not statistically significant.CONCLUSION: Results suggest strong links between healthy lifestyle behaviour and stress in MOH. Stress reduction and promoting healthy behaviour are highly relevant in MOH management.

U2 - 10.1177/0333102415578430

DO - 10.1177/0333102415578430

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 25804645

SN - 0333-1024

VL - 36

SP - 15

EP - 28

JO - Cephalalgia : an international journal of headache

JF - Cephalalgia : an international journal of headache

IS - 1

ER -