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Gender differences in chronic headache in a treatment-seeking population
1Departments of Anesthesiology and Neurology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Objective:
To evaluate gender differences in headache description, frequency, disability, and psychological distress in a treatment-seeking population.
Design:
Consecutive treatment-seeking headache patients were questioned about headache characteristics and comorbid psychological distress.
Subjects:
37 males and 90 females seeking treatment at a university headache clinic.
Method:
Subjects were evaluated by a neurologist and assigned headache diagnoses according to International Headache Society criteria. Subjects also completed several psychological self-report measures. Gender comparisons were made for both headache characteristics and psychological measures using the Student t test and chi-square test.
Results:
Headache characteristics and comorbid psychological symptoms were similar in men and women. Men were more likely than women to report headache-related disability. Headache triggers were similar in men and women, although exercise was reported as a more frequent trigger in men, and women were more likely to identify foods as usual headache triggers. Men and women reported similar responsivity to treatment.
Conclusions:
Treatment recommendations for chronic headache should be similar for men and women. However, evaluation of disability and exercise as headache triggers should be actively sought in male patients, while women should be educated about dietary adjustments and avoidance of eating irregularities.