Clinical Features and Treatment Outcomes of Medication Overuse Headache in Older Patients: Insights from a Nationwide Prospective Registry
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Study Design and Participants
2.2. Data Collection
2.3. Clinical Assessments and Questionnaires
2.4. Outcome Definition
2.5. Statistical Analysis
3. Results
3.1. Baseline Characteristics
3.2. Preventive Treatment and 3-Month Outcomes
3.3. Predictors of Treatment Response in Older Patients
3.4. Overused Medication Type and Response
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Characteristics | Older Adult
<65 Years (N = 719) | Younger Adult
≥65 Years (N = 72) | p-Value |
---|---|---|---|
Demographics | |||
Sex, female, n (%) | 609 (84.7) | 55 (76.4) | 0.067 |
BMI, kg/m2 | 22.6 (20.3, 25.2) | 24.1 (21.9, 26.0) | 0.005 * |
Headache History | |||
Age at headache onset, years | 21.0 (16.0, 30.0) | 33.0 (24.0, 51.0) | <0.001 * |
Age at medication overuse onset, years | 39.0 (31.0, 48.0) | 61.5 (52.0, 67.5) | <0.001 * |
Migraine diagnosis, n (%) | 712 (99.0) | 66 (91.7) | <0.001 * |
Types of Overused Medication | |||
Ergotamine, n (%) | 115 (16.0) | 7 (9.7) | 0.160 |
Triptans, n (%) | 300 (41.7) | 17 (23.6) | 0.003 * |
Simple analgesics/NSAIDs, n (%) | 414 (57.6) | 27 (37.5) | 0.001 * |
Opioids, n (%) | 21 (2.9) | 3 (4.2) | 0.557 |
Combination analgesics, n (%) | 184 (25.6) | 35 (48.6) | <0.001 * |
Headache Profile at Baseline | |||
Monthly headache days, days/month | 27.0 (20.0, 30.0) | 30.0 (21.0, 30.0) | 0.012 * |
Monthly severe headache days, days/month | 10.0 (5.0, 15.0) | 12.5 (7.0, 20.0) | 0.056 |
Monthly acute medication days, days/month | 20.0 (15.0, 30.0) | 30.0 (20.0, 30.0) | <0.001 * |
Clear (headache-free) days, days/month | 3.0 (0.0, 10.0) | 0.0 (0.0, 9.0) | 0.012 * |
HIT-6 score | 66.0 (62.0, 70.0) | 64.5 (60.0, 70.0) | 0.065 |
MIDAS | 46.0 (20.0, 100.0) | 30.0 (0.0, 65.0) | <0.001 * |
Characteristics | Younger Adult
<65 Years (N = 719) | Older Adult
≥65 Years (N = 72) | p-Value |
---|---|---|---|
Psychological and Functional Status at Baseline | |||
PHQ-9 | 9.0 (6.0, 15.0) | 11.0 (5.5, 17.0) | 0.334 |
GAD-7 | 6.0 (2.0, 10.0) | 7.0 (2.5, 12.0) | 0.267 |
ASC-12 | 1.0 (0.0, 4.0) | 0.0 (0.0, 1.5) | 0.005 * |
PSS-4 | 8.0 (6.0, 10.0) | 8.0 (7.0, 10.0) | 0.465 |
ACT-4 | 3.0 (1.0, 4.0) | 4.0 (2.0, 4.0) | 0.003 * |
MSQ total score | 183.3 (128.1, 227.1) | 207.6 (153.8, 249.6) | 0.010 * |
Types of Preventive Treatment | |||
Antiepileptics | 367 (51.0) | 33 (45.8) | |
Beta-blockers | 144 (20.0) | 6 (8.3) | |
Calcium channel blockers | 95 (13.2) | 11 (15.3) | |
Tricyclic antidepressants | 200 (27.8) | 16 (22.2) | |
Angiotensin receptor blockers | 17 (2.4) | 0 (0.0) | |
Serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake blockers | 11 (1.5) | 1 (1.4) | |
OnabotulinumtoxinA (BOTOX) | 80 (11.1) | 8 (11.1) | |
Steroid | 5 (7.0) | 0 (0.0) | |
CGRP mAb | 183 (25.5) | 11 (15.3) | |
Gepants | 1 (0.1) | 0 (0.0) | |
Cefaly | 1 (0.1) | 0 (0.0) | |
GONB | 26 (3.6) | 1 (1.4) | |
Treatment Strategies | |||
Mode of withdrawal | 0.557 | ||
Abrupt discontinuation, n (%) | 359 (49.9) | 39 (54.2) | |
Reduced frequency, n (%) | 323 (44.9) | 28 (38.9) | |
No withdrawal, n (%) | 37 (5.6) | 5 (6.9) | |
Setting of withdrawal (admission), n (%) | 84 (11.7) | 14 (19.4) | 0.057 |
Preventive treatment use | 0.003 * | ||
None, n (%) | 38 (5.3) | 11 (15.3) | |
Early initiation (from withdrawal), n (%) | 664 (92.4) | 59 (81.9) | |
Late initiation (>2 weeks), n (%) | 17 (2.4) | 2 (2.8) |
Characteristics | Younger Adult
<65 Years (N = 569) | Older Adult
≥65 Years (N = 56) | p-Value |
---|---|---|---|
Preventive Treatment Compliance | 0.448 | ||
100% | 63 (8.8) | 6 (8.3) | |
75~99% (≥6 weeks or ≥25 days/month) | 13 (1.8) | 1 (1.4) | |
50~74% (4~5 weeks or 16~24 days/month) | 13 (1.8) | 1 (1.4) | |
25~49% (2~3 weeks or 8~15 days/month) | 18 (2.5) | 2 (2.8) | |
≤24% (≤1 weeks or ≤7 days/month) | 41 (5.7) | 3 (4.2) | |
Prescribed but not taken | 200 (27.8) | 29 (40.3) | |
Not prescribed | 221 (30.7) | 14 (19.4) | |
Good compliance (≥50%), n (%) | 89 (15.6) | 8 (14.3) | |
Headache Outcomes | |||
Monthly headache days, days/month | 10.0 (1.0, 20.0) | 8.5 (3.5, 15.0) | 0.662 |
Monthly severe headache days, days/month | 2.0 (0.0, 6.0) | 3.5 (1.0, 7.0) | 0.005 * |
Monthly acute medication days, days/month | 5.0 (0.0, 11.0) | 5.0 (2.0, 10.0) | 0.926 |
Clear (headache-free) days, days/month | 15.0 (0.0, 22.0) | 20.0 (10.0, 24.5) | 0.001 * |
HIT-6 score | 45.0 (0.0, 58.0) | 50.0 (0.0, 57.5) | 0.371 |
MIDAS | 0.0 (0.0, 20.0) | 2.5 (0.0, 20.0) | 0.242 |
Responder (≥50% reduction in MHD), n (%) | 299 (41.6) | 36 (50.0) |
Predictor | OR | 95%CI | p-Value |
---|---|---|---|
Female | 1.39 | (0.32–6.08) | 0.665 |
BMI | 1.02 | (0.83–1.25) | 0.881 |
Duration from medication overuse onset | 1.04 | (0.98–1.10) | 0.216 |
Duration from headache onset | 1.00 | (0.96–1.04) | 0.935 |
HIT-6 | 1.01 | (0.93–1.09) | 0.879 |
MIDAS | 1.00 | (0.98–1.01) | 0.486 |
PHQ-9 | 0.93 | (0.79–1.08) | 0.344 |
GAD-7 | 1.05 | (0.88–1.26) | 0.583 |
ASC-12 | 1.23 | (0.86–1.76) | 0.253 |
PSS-4 | 1.08 | (0.77–1.51) | 0.652 |
ACT-4 | 1.07 | (0.67–1.70) | 0.786 |
Total MSQ | 1.00 | (0.99–1.02) | 0.505 |
Compliance <24% | 0.13 | (0.02–0.96) | 0.045 |
Abrupt withdrawal | 1.15 | (0.07–18.20) | 0.920 |
Early Preventive drug start | 7.81 | (0.14–437.36) | 0.317 |
Medication Type | OR | 95%CI | p-Value |
---|---|---|---|
Ergotamine | 1.38 | (0.28–6.64) | 1.000 |
Triptans | 0.86 | (0.29–2.55) | 1.000 |
Simple analgesics/NSAIDs | 1.43 | (0.55–3.73) | 0.627 |
Opioids | 2.06 | (0.18–23.77) | 1.000 |
Combination analgesics | 1.40 | (0.55–3.53) | 0.638 |
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Hong, Y.; Kang, M.-K.; Park, H.-K.; Chu, M.K.; Oh, S.-Y.; Kang, J.-J.; Moon, H.-S.; Lee, M.J.; Song, T.-J.; on behalf of the RELEASE Investigators. Clinical Features and Treatment Outcomes of Medication Overuse Headache in Older Patients: Insights from a Nationwide Prospective Registry. J. Clin. Med. 2025, 14, 4948. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14144948
Hong Y, Kang M-K, Park H-K, Chu MK, Oh S-Y, Kang J-J, Moon H-S, Lee MJ, Song T-J, on behalf of the RELEASE Investigators. Clinical Features and Treatment Outcomes of Medication Overuse Headache in Older Patients: Insights from a Nationwide Prospective Registry. Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2025; 14(14):4948. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14144948
Chicago/Turabian StyleHong, Yooha, Mi-Kyoung Kang, Hong-Kyun Park, Min Kyung Chu, Sun-Young Oh, Jin-Ju Kang, Heui-Soo Moon, Mi Ji Lee, Tae-Jin Song, and on behalf of the RELEASE Investigators. 2025. "Clinical Features and Treatment Outcomes of Medication Overuse Headache in Older Patients: Insights from a Nationwide Prospective Registry" Journal of Clinical Medicine 14, no. 14: 4948. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14144948
APA StyleHong, Y., Kang, M.-K., Park, H.-K., Chu, M. K., Oh, S.-Y., Kang, J.-J., Moon, H.-S., Lee, M. J., Song, T.-J., & on behalf of the RELEASE Investigators. (2025). Clinical Features and Treatment Outcomes of Medication Overuse Headache in Older Patients: Insights from a Nationwide Prospective Registry. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 14(14), 4948. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14144948