Migraines and headaches remain a global public health crisis

The study, led by La Trobe University and Western Health and published in the journal Cell Reports Medicine, examined the prevalence of headache in 204 countries and regions between 1990 and 2021 using Global Burden of Disease (GBD) data.

According to research results, approximately 2.8 billion people worldwide currently face headaches.

The study, which pointed out that the modern lifestyle is effective in headache cases, emphasized that stress, sedentary lifestyle, alcohol and caffeine consumption and poor quality sleep trigger headaches.

The study stated that women, especially those aged 30-44, and individuals living in high-income countries are more affected by health problems such as headaches.

In addition, the study pointed out that the Covid-19 pandemic brought new challenges, and that reports of headache complaints continued after infection or vaccination.

Lead author of the study, Prof. Dr. Tissa Wijeratne, emphasized that despite advances in diagnosis and treatment, headache disorders are unlikely to decline globally due to persistent risk factors and limited access to professional care.

Wijeratne noted that headache problems should be prioritized on global health agendas, and that individualized treatment programs and health investments should be increased.