Male and female sex hormones in primary headaches

Delaruelle, Zoë; Иванова, Т. А.; Khan, Sabrina; Negro, Andrea; Ornello, Raffaele; Raffaelli, Bianca; Terrin, Alberto; Mitsikostas, Dimos D.; Reuter, Uwe

doi:10.1186/s10194-018-0922-7

Cited by 131 publications

(121 citation statements)

References 156 publications

(205 reference statements)

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“…Some epidemiological studies have shown that several risk factors, including sex [7], body mass index (BMI) [8], smoking [9], family history [10], and climate [11] might be associated with primary headache disorders. Despite the lower prevalence in China, the risk factors are similar to those reported for other countries [12][13][14].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prevalence and risk factors associated with headache amongst medical staff in South China

Xie

et al. 2020

J Headache Pain

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Background: A previous study by our team reported the prevalence of primary headache disorders and factors associated with headache among nurses in three hospitals in North China. The aim of this cross-sectional survey was to learn more about how medical nurses in South China were affected by headache. Additionally, we determined the prevalence of headache and measured the impact of headache among doctors in mainland China for the first time. Methods: Stratified random cluster sampling was used to select 280 physicians and 365 nurses from various departments in four hospitals in Sanya, which is one of southernmost cities in China. Information was collected on demographic data, occupational factors and headache characteristics by using a structured questionnaire. Results: Among 645 medical staff, 548 (85%) responded (doctors = 240, nurses = 308). Among the medical staff, the 1year prevalence of primary headache disorders was 50%, with 25.9% experiencing migraine and 24.1% experiencing tension-type headache (TTH). The prevalence of migraine in female doctors was higher than that in female nurses, although this difference was not significant (32.4% vs. 29.8%, P = 0.628). Multivariate analysis showed that being female and working in other specialties (Emergency Department & Radiology Department) remained independent risk factors for migraine in doctors (OR 2.314 and 3.223). In nurses, being married was a risk factor for migraine (OR 3.728), and job titles remained an independent risk factor for migraine and TTH (OR 2.294 and 4.695). Working more than 6 night-shifts per month was associated with an increased prevalence of migraine and TTH in doctors; the same was true in nurses for migraine, but not for TTH. Conclusion: The prevalence of primary headache disorders in both nurses and doctors is higher than that in the general population in South China. Our study shows that occupation, geography and sex may play an important role. Further, female doctors are more susceptible than female nurses to migraine. The risk factors relevant to headache that were found in this study should provide an important reference for promoting occupational health in medical staff, especially female doctors in China.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prevalence and risk factors associated with headache amongst medical staff in South China

Xie

et al. 2020

J Headache Pain

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“…In these cases, migraine seems associated with higher levels of mood disorders, disabilities and menopausal symptoms ( 16 ). The mechanisms of persisting migraine after menopause and hormonal changes in this condition have also been poorly studied ( 17 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Serum levels of allopregnanolone, progesterone and testosterone in menstrually-related and postmenopausal migraine: A cross-sectional study

et al. 2020

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Background Reduced blood or cerebrospinal fluid levels of allopregnanolone are involved in menstrual cycle-linked CNS disorders, such as catamenial epilepsy. This condition, like menstrually-related migraine, is characterized by severe, treatment-resistant attacks. We explored whether there were differences in allopregnanolone, progesterone and testosterone serum levels between women with menstrually-related migraine (MM, n = 30) or postmenopausal migraine without aura who had suffered from menstrually-related migraine during their fertile age (PM, n = 30) and non-headache control women in fertile age (FAC, n = 30) or post-menopause (PC, n = 30). Methods Participants were women with migraine afferent to a headache centre; controls were female patients’ acquaintances. Serum samples obtained were analyzed by HPLC-ESI-MS/MS. Results In menstrually-related migraine and postmenopausal migraine groups, allopregnanolone levels were lower than in the respective control groups (fertile age and post-menopause) ( p < 0.001, one-way analysis of variance followed by Tukey-Kramer post-hoc comparison test) while progesterone and testosterone levels were similar. By grouping together patients with migraine, allopregnanolone levels were inversely correlated with the number of years and days of migraine/3 months ( p ≤ 0.005, linear regression analysis). Conclusion Decreased GABAergic inhibition, due to low allopregnanolone serum levels, could contribute to menstrually-related migraine and persistence of migraine after menopause. For the management of these disorders, a rise in the GABAergic transmission by increasing inhibitory neurosteroids might represent a novel strategy.

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“…Men with migraine have also been reported to have higher plasma levels of estrogen than men without migraine (Van Oosterhout et al, 2018). Other hormones, such as testosterone, progesterone, and prolactin, as well as genetic and epigenetic factors, may contribute to these sex-related differences in migraine (Gazerani and Vinterhøj, 2016;Delaruelle et al, 2018;Gazerani, 2019).…”

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confidence: 99%

Sex-Specific Pharmacotherapy for Migraine: A Narrative Review

Gazerani

Cairns

2020

Front. Neurosci.

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Migraine is a common neurological disorder characterized by recurrent headache episodes that accompany sensory-motor disturbances, such as higher sensitivity to touch and light, extremity heaviness or weakness, and speech or language disabilities. Worldwide, migraine is one of the top 10 causes of disability and hence poses a huge economic burden to society. On average, migraine occurs in 12% of population but its occurrence is sexually dimorphic, as it is two to three times more prevalent in women than in men. This female to male ratio of migraine prevalence is age-and sex hormone-dependent. Advancements in understanding migraine pathogenesis have also revealed an association with both genetics and epigenetics. The severity of migraine, in terms of its attack duration, headache intensity, frequency, and occurrence of migraineassociated symptoms, has generally been reported to be greater in women. Sex differences in migraine disability and comorbidities, such as psychiatric disorders, have also been noted in some population-based studies. However, research on sex-related differences in response to migraine treatments is relatively scarce. Although a general observation is that women consume more medication than men for migraine treatment, strategies for the use of abortive and preventive medications for migraine are generally similar in both sexes. This narrative review summarizes available findings on sexually distinct responses to abortive and prophylactic pharmacotherapy of migraine. Basic experimental data and clinical findings will be presented, and potential mechanisms underlying sex-based responses will be discussed to highlight the importance and value of sex-based treatment in migraine research and practice.

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Male and female sex hormones in primary headaches

Cited by 131 publications

References 156 publications

Prevalence and risk factors associated with headache amongst medical staff in South China

Prevalence and risk factors associated with headache amongst medical staff in South China

Serum levels of allopregnanolone, progesterone and testosterone in menstrually-related and postmenopausal migraine: A cross-sectional study

Sex-Specific Pharmacotherapy for Migraine: A Narrative Review

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