Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42096674›Full record

ArticleNeurology2026

The Prevalence and Incidence of Cluster Headache: A Norwegian Population-Based Time-Trend Study.

Einar Naveen Møen, Marte-Helene Bjørk, Nils Erik Gilhus, Dagrun Slettebø Daltveit, Daniela Contreras, Knut Hagen, Mahendran Jayaraman, Andrej Netland Khanevski, Tore Wergeland, Anker Stubberud and 2 more

Abstract read
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Article in Neurology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Einar Naveen MøenDepartment of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Norway.ORCID 0009-0003-2303-7228
Marte-Helene BjørkDepartment of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Norway.ORCID 0000-0002-5745-1094
Nils Erik GilhusDepartment of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Norway.ORCID 0000-0001-6522-5102
Dagrun Slettebø DaltveitNorHead - Norwegian Centre for Headache Research, Trondheim, Norway.
Daniela ContrerasDepartment of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Norway.ORCID 0000-0001-7907-5870
Knut HagenNorHead - Norwegian Centre for Headache Research, Trondheim, Norway.
Mahendran JayaramanDepartment of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Norway.ORCID 0009-0008-6231-4319
Andrej Netland KhanevskiNorHead - Norwegian Centre for Headache Research, Trondheim, Norway.ORCID 0000-0002-6371-628X
Tore WergelandNorHead - Norwegian Centre for Headache Research, Trondheim, Norway.ORCID 0000-0003-2295-123X
Anker StubberudNorHead - Norwegian Centre for Headache Research, Trondheim, Norway.ORCID 0000-0003-0934-9914
Erling TronvikNorHead - Norwegian Centre for Headache Research, Trondheim, Norway.ORCID 0000-0001-6059-0151
Jannicke IglandNorHead - Norwegian Centre for Headache Research, Trondheim, Norway.ORCID 0000-0002-2289-0978

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND

objectivesData on time trends in cluster headache epidemiology are sparse. The aim of this study was to report trends in prevalence and incidence of cluster headache in Norway over a 14-year period.

methodsWe conducted a registry-based study using linked data from the Norwegian Registry for Primary Health Care, the Norwegian Control and Payment of Health Reimbursements Database, the Norwegian Patient Registry, the Norwegian Prescribed Drug Registry, and Statistics Norway from 2009 to 2022. Data included diagnostic codes, prescriptions, and education. Adults (age ≥18 years) were included. Cluster headache prevalence was defined as ≥2 contacts (clinical consults or prescriptions) for cluster headache in a 365-day period. Age-standardized trends in prevalence and incidence by sex and year, and interactions between education and year, were analyzed with negative binomial regression. We estimated prevalence rate ratio (PRR) and incidence rate ratio per calendar year with 95% CIs.

resultsThe number of patients with cluster headache increased from 1,029 in 2009 (median age 44 years; 39.7% women) to 1,833 patients in 2022 (median age 47 years; 50.1% women). The annual age-standardized prevalence rate increased from 27.0 to 42.5 per 100,000 in the same period. Women had a 3-fold higher annual increase of 6% (PRR 1.06, 95% CI 1.05-1.07) compared with 2% (PRR 1.02, 95% CI 1.02-1.03) in men. The prevalence rate was higher in women than in men by 2022 (43.4 vs 41.7 per 100,000). The annual prevalence of chronic cluster headache and refractory chronic cluster headache varied between 6%-7% and 1%-2% of all cluster headache cases, respectively. The annual age-standardized incidence rate of cluster headache increased in women, from 10.1 to 14.6 per 100,000 from 2012 to 2022 and decreased in men, from 13.5 to 11.0 per 100,000. Incidence and prevalence rates were higher among individuals with lower education. DISCUSSION: Prevalence increased over 14 years, possibly reflecting improved diagnostic practices and awareness. These findings challenge previous reports of cluster headache predominantly affecting men, illustrating distinct shifts and trends in disease epidemiology. A limitation was the lack of clinical validation of cluster headache diagnostic codes in primary health care.

Indexed as

Cluster HeadacheAdolescentAdultAgedFemaleHumansIncidenceMaleMiddle AgedNorwayPrevalenceRegistriesYoung Adult

Identifiers

PMID42096674
PMCPMC13165289

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.