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This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) CME: Take the course for this article: Volume 66, Number 2, January 24, 2006 All Versions of this Article: 01.wnl.0000193630.03650.19v1 66/2/198    most recent Correspondence: Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when Correspondence are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Dyb, G. Articles by Zwart, J.-A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Dyb, G. Articles by Zwart, J.-A. Related Collections All Headache Migraine

Analgesic overuse among adolescents with headache

The Head-HUNT-Youth Study

From the Department of Neuroscience (G.D., J.-A.Z.), HUNT Research Centre (T.L.H.), Norwegian National Headache Centre (J.-A.Z.), National Centre for Spinal Disorders (J.-A.Z.), Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim; and Norwegian Center for Studies on Violence and Traumatic Stress (G.D.), Oslo, Norway.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. John-Anker Zwart, Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway; e-mail: John-Anker.Zwart{at}medisin.ntnu.no

Objectives: To examine the association between the use of analgesics and primary headache disorders (i.e., migraine and tension-type headache) among adolescents in relation to age, gender, and headache frequency.

Methods: This cross-sectional, population-based study was conducted in Norway from 1995 to 1997. The total study population consisted of 5,471 adolescents, 13 to 18 years of age, who were interviewed about their headache complaints and completed a comprehensive questionnaire including use of analgesics.

Results: The prevalence of daily headache associated with analgesic use was 0.5%, with a higher rate for girls (0.8%) than for boys (0.2%). There was a significant association for both genders between analgesic use and headache, although most pronounced for migraine. There was a significant linear relationship between analgesic use and headache frequency. Analgesic use was more common among girls than boys and increased with age both for those with and those without headache.

Conclusions: The use of analgesics is common among adolescents with headache, especially among girls. Although this study did not directly evaluate for medication-overuse headache, the trend of frequent analgesic use suggests this possibility. Parents and physicians should increase their awareness of potential analgesic overuse, especially among adolescents with frequent headache.

Editorial, see page 160

See also page 193

This article was previously published in electronic format as an Expedited E-Pub on November 23, 2005, atwww.neurology.org.

Disclosure: The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Received June 10, 2005. Accepted in final form October 20, 2005.

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