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Association between iron deficiency anemia and chronic daily headache: A case-control study
Rohit Kumar Singh1, Rajeev Mohan Kaushik1, Deepak Goel2
1Department of General Medicine, Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences, Swami Rama Himalayan University, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India.
Insights
Iron deficiency anemia is independently linked to chronic daily headaches. Severe cases of this anemia correlate with increased headache severity, highlighting a significant association.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Hematology
Background:
- Chronic daily headache (CDH) is a prevalent condition impacting quality of life.
- The role of nutritional deficiencies, such as iron deficiency anemia (IDA), in CDH requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between iron deficiency anemia and chronic daily headache.
- To explore the relationship between IDA and the characteristics of CDH, including type, severity, and duration.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study was conducted with 100 patients diagnosed with CDH and 100 controls.
- Participants were assessed for iron deficiency anemia using standard laboratory parameters.
- CDH subtypes were classified according to the International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3rd edition.
Main Results:
- Iron deficiency anemia was diagnosed in 51% of patients with CDH.
- IDA showed a significant independent association with CDH (p < 0.001).
- Severe IDA was significantly associated with increased CDH severity (p = 0.021).
- Serum iron, ferritin, TIBC, and transferrin saturation were also significantly associated with CDH.
Conclusions:
- Iron deficiency anemia is an independent risk factor for chronic daily headache.
- The severity of iron deficiency anemia correlates with the severity of chronic daily headache.
- These findings suggest that screening for IDA may be beneficial in patients with CDH.
Objective:
We aimed to determine the association between iron deficiency anemia and chronic daily headache.
Methods:
This case-control study was conducted in a tertiary care center in Dehradun, India. One hundred patients with chronic daily headache were randomly selected for the study with an equal number of controls. Subsets of chronic daily headache were diagnosed as per the 3rd edition of the International Classification of Headache Disorders. The study participants were assessed for iron deficiency anemia.
Results:
The mean age of the patients was 51.1 ± 22.1 years. Male: female ratio was 1:1.08. Chronic migraine was present in 62 (62%), tension-type headache in 23 (23%), and new daily persistent headache in 15 (15%) patients. The majority (96%) of patients had chronic daily headache of mild to moderate severity. Chronic daily headache was of long duration in all patients. Sixty-four (64%) patients had anemia of which 51 (51%) patients had iron deficiency anemia. Iron deficiency anemia showed a significant association with chronic daily headache (p < 0.001), but not with its type, subtype, and duration. Severe iron deficiency anemia had a significant association with the severity of chronic daily headache (p = 0.021). Serum iron, ferritin, total iron-binding capacity, and transferrin saturation also had a significant association with chronic daily headache (p < 0.05 for each), but not with its type, subtype, duration, and severity. Logistic regression analysis showed that iron deficiency anemia, total iron-binding capacity, and transferrin saturation had an independent association with chronic daily headache (p < 0.05 for each).
Conclusions:
Iron deficiency anemia had an independent association with chronic daily headache. Severe iron deficiency anemia was related to the severity of chronic daily headache.
