MORE than a third of the world's population experience migraines and headache disorders, according to a comprehensive analysis of the global impact of the conditions.
Conducted by an international team and led by Professor Tissa Wijeratne from La Trobe University, the study pointed to modern lifestyle factors, including stress, sedentary activity, caffeine, alcohol and poor-quality sleep as triggers.
Meanwhile the COVID pandemic introduced additional challenges for headache management, with acute or chronic headaches after COVID infection or vaccination adding to the global load.
Using the latest data from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries and Risk Factors Study (GBD), researchers found that headache disorders were the second most prevalent disease globally, affecting around 2.8 billion people, including 2.0 billion affected by tension-type headaches and 1.2 billion by migraines.
Women aged 30-44 and people from countries with higher income and healthcare quality are disproportionately affected by headache disorders, and while migraines are less common, they are far more disabling.
Some patients with migraines co-infected with COVID also reported experiencing more severe pain that is often less responsive to standard analgesics.
"These new headache issues, combined with increased psychological stress, disrupted healthcare access and social factors, may have further complicated an already pressing public health issue," the researchers wrote.
Professor Wijeratne, said that while advances in diagnostic tools and treatment options have improved the recognition and management of headache disorders, rates are expected to remain at the same level due to the enduring influence of modern risk factors.
Prof Wijeratne also suggested that the limited use of professional healthcare for headaches and the reliance on over-the-counter treatments may continue to impede substantial reductions in prevalence and disability.
"This study emphasises the urgent need to prioritise headache disorders in global health agendas," the researchers said.
They argued that more healthcare funding and recognition of migraines and headaches is needed to support the 2.8 billion people who suffer from the debilitating conditions worldwide.
The research is available HERE. KB
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