Title : Medication-overuse headache in elderly
Abstract:
Objectives: Medication overuse headache (MOH) is a type of chronic headache disorder caused by excessive use of acute medications and a public health problem with a worldwide prevalence of 1–2%. Each medication class has a specific threshold. In this study we wanted to demonstrate clinical features of MOH in the elderly patients.
Methods: Data of all patients referred to our outpatient clinic at the University Hospital of Sakarya between January 2016 and January 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients aged 65 years and over with a diagnosis of MOH were enrolled into the study. Demographic data as well as data about use of medication, history of primary headache, have been collected. For the classification of headache types the International Classification of Headache Disorders 3rd edition (Beta version) [ICHD-3 (beta)] were used.
Results: A total of 80 patients (16 male, 20%) were included in the study. Ages were between 65-79 (mean age 68,5). Migraine was the frequent primary headache among the elderly female MOH patients with the ratio of 55 %. Use of combination analgesic was more prevalent (%50) in all patients.
Conclusion: Medication should always be used with care in elderly patients and it should be confirmed that the patients are aware of the treatment. More research on medication use in relation to age is required.
Audience take away:
These findings are remarkable for management of medication overuse headache
