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Related Experiment Videos

Why do older people report fewer headaches?

Elaine Thomas1, Helen F Boardman, Peter R Croft

  • 1Primary Care Sciences Research Centre, Keele University, Keele, Staffs, UK. e.thomas@cphc.keele.ac.uk

Gerontology
|August 20, 2005
PubMed
Summary

Headache prevalence decreases with age, but not due to retirement or other health issues. While pain medication use increases with age, it doesn't fully explain the decline in headache frequency.

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Area of Science:

  • Epidemiology
  • Gerontology
  • Pain Management

Background:

  • Headache prevalence significantly declines with increasing age, a pattern more pronounced than in other painful conditions.
  • Previous research confirmed an age-related decrease in headache incidence.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate factors contributing to the age-related decline in headache prevalence.
  • To explore the roles of work status, co-existing health problems, and pain-relieving medication use.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional postal survey of 5,000 adults.
  • Follow-up included general practitioner consultations, prescription data, and a 12-month postal survey.

Main Results:

  • Headache prevalence was similar between working and retired individuals across age groups.
  • Headache sufferers consulted general practitioners more frequently, except in the oldest age group (66+).
  • Prescription rates for analgesics and NSAIDs increased with age, but daily medication use did not differ between sufferers and non-sufferers.

Conclusions:

  • Retirement and other health problems do not explain the reduced headache prevalence in older adults.
  • While increased pain medication use in older age is noted, it's not definitively linked to the decline.
  • Literature suggests age-related changes in headache reporting, biochemistry, and management strategies may be involved.

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