Comorbidity Between Migraine and Other Primary Headache Types

Abstract

Introduction. A migraine is a common disabling neurological disorder and migraine was second among the causes of disability, and first among women under 50 years of age in the Global Burden Disease Study 2019 (GBD2019). The disability increases with the number of monthly migraine days (MMDs).  The aim of the study was to investigate different types of primary headache in the migraine population. Materials and methods. 144 migraine patients participated in the study from July 1, 2022 to December 30, 2022. The study was conducted on Azerbaijani citizens from various regions in Neurology Clinic of New Medical Technologies LTD, in Baku. The inclusion criteria for the study included a define diagnosis of migraine with or without aura, and other type of primary headache, according to the ICHD-3 criteria.  Results. 115 of 144 patients (79.9%) were women, 29 (20.1%) patients were men. 128 patients (88.9%) had a migraine without aura, 16 patients (11.1%) had a migraine with aura. Autonomic symptoms occurred in 95 (65.9%) patients. 39 migraineurs (27.1%) had «other primary headache disorders» which is the subject of the fourth chapter of ICHD-3. There were primary stabbing headache, primary cough headache, cold-stimulus headache, primary exercise headache, external traction headache in our participants. Conclusion. This is the first study, estimating the characteristics of migraine headache and concomitant primary headaches, especially determining triggers among Azerbaijani population. In summary, patients usually confuse migraine-associated triggers with provocative factors which induce other type of headaches.