High pulse pressure protects against headache: prospective and cross-sectional data (HUNT study)

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Measuring the Carotid to Femoral Pulse Wave Velocity (Cf-PWV) to Evaluate Arterial Stiffness
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Measuring the Carotid to Femoral Pulse Wave Velocity (Cf-PWV) to Evaluate Arterial Stiffness

Published on: May 3, 2018

E Tronvik1, L J Stovner, K Hagen

  • 1Norwegian National Headache Center, Trondheim University Hospital, Department of Neurology, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim, Norway. erling.tronvik@ntnu.no

Neurology
|April 17, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Higher blood pressure, particularly pulse pressure, is linked to a lower prevalence of headaches, including migraines. This effect may be due to hypertension-induced hypoalgesia, a pain-reducing mechanism.

Area of Science:

  • Epidemiology
  • Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Neurology

Background:

  • Antihypertensive drugs are often prescribed for migraine prevention, yet the blood pressure-headache relationship remains unclear.
  • Large population studies offer insights into the complex interplay between hypertension and headache disorders.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between various blood pressure measures and headache prevalence.
  • To examine how antihypertensive medication influences the relationship between blood pressure and headaches.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from two large-scale epidemiological surveys: the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT-1 and HUNT-2).
  • Analyzed cross-sectional and prospective data to assess correlations between systolic, diastolic, mean arterial, and pulse pressure with migraine and nonmigrainous headache.

Main Results:

  • Elevated systolic blood pressure correlated with a reduced prevalence of nonmigrainous headache and migraine.
  • Increased pulse pressure showed a consistent association with decreased prevalence of both headache types across sexes and study designs.
  • The observed association was less distinct in individuals using antihypertensive medications.

Conclusions:

  • Increased systolic and pulse pressure may reduce headache prevalence via arterial stiffness and baroreflex modulation, leading to hypoalgesia.
  • Hypertension-associated hypoalgesia suggests that elevated blood pressure can inhibit pain signaling at spinal and supraspinal levels.
  • Baroreflex stimulation in response to higher blood pressure may interact with pain-modulating centers in the brainstem.
Abstract

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