The comorbidity of migraine and hypertension. A study in a tertiary care headache centre

Abstract

Literature data concerning the comorbidity of migraine and hypertension are conflicting and lacking in consistency [1–4]. This study was designed to evaluate the distribution of hypertension in a sample of migraineurs in comparison with a group of tensiontype headache (TTH) patients. Hypertension prevalence was more elevated in headache sufferers than in the general population. This finding might be due to a Berkson’s bias; in fact individuals seeking medical care often show a high rate of association between two medical conditions which may be independent in the general population [5]. The highest hypertension prevalence was found in patients with TTH, supporting the hypothesis that this type of headache might be based upon vascular mechanisms [6].