Association Between Headache and Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D; the Tromsø Study: Tromsø 6

Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain

1. Marie Kjærgaard MD^*, 
2. Anne Elise Eggen PhD, 
3. Ellisiv B. Mathiesen PhD, 
4. Rolf Jorde PhD

Article first published online: 13 SEP 2012DOI: 10.1111/j.1526-4610.2012.02250.x

Background.— High prevalence of headache has been associated with high latitude, thus suggesting a relation with vitamin D. However, there are so far no reports on the association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) and headache.

Objective.— To investigate the association between headache and serum 25(OH)D in a general population.

Methods.— Cross-sectional study based on questionnaires from 11,614 persons who participated in the sixth survey of the Tromsø Study (Tromsø 6) carried out in 2007-2008. The data were stratified according to smoking status and analyzed with regard to migraine and non-migraine headache. Adjustments were done for age, body mass index (BMI), gender, season, chronic diseases, education, physical exercise, and alcohol consumption.

Results.— Headache of non-migraine type was associated with low levels of serum 25(OH)D with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.20 (1.04-1.39) in the lowest quartile as compared to the highest serum 25(OH)D quartile. No significant association was found between migraine and serum 25(OH)D.

Conclusion.— Non-migraine headache was associated with low levels of serum 25(OH)D. Although adjustment were done for possible confounders, this finding may still reflect lifestyle rather than causality, and further studies are needed to investigate this. No association was found between serum 25(OH)D and migraine.

Chronic Tension-Type Headache With Vitamin D Deficiency: Casual or Causal Association?

Brief Communications
Chronic Tension-Type Headache With Vitamin D Deficiency: Casual or Causal Association?
Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain
Volume 49 Issue 8, Pages 1214 - 1222
Published Online: 8 Jul 2009
Sanjay Prakash, DM; Nilima D. Shah, MD
From the Department of Neurology, Medical College, Baroda, Gujarat, India (S. Prakash); Department of Psychiatry, Medical College, Baroda, Gujarat, India (N.D. Shah).
Correspondence to S. Prakash, O-19, Doctor's Quarter, Jail Road, Baroda, Gujarat, 390001 India.
Funding source: No grant or support was required.

Conflict of Interest: None

Copyright Copyright © 2009 American Headache Society
KEYWORDS
vitamin D • tension-type headache • pain • musculoskeletal symptoms
(Headache 2009;49:1214-1222)

ABSTRACT
The prevalence of tension-type headache and vitamin D deficiency are both very high in the general population. The inter-relations between the two have not been explored in the literature. We report 8 patients with chronic tension-type headache and vitamin D deficiency (osteomalacia). All the patients responded poorly to conventional therapy for tension headache. The headache and osteomalacia of each of the 8 patients responded to vitamin D and calcium supplementation. The improvement in the headache was much earlier than the improvements in the symptom complex of osteomalacia. We also speculate on the possible mechanisms for headache in the patients with vitamin D deficiency.


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Accepted for publication May 18, 2009.

DIGITAL OBJECT IDENTIFIER (DOI)
10.1111/j.1526-4610.2009.01483.x About DOI