Title: Headache Disorders May Be a Risk Factor for the Development of New Onset Hypothyroidism.

Authors: Martin, Andrew T; Pinney, Susan M; Xie, Changchun; Herrick, Robert L; Bai, Yun; Buckholz, Jeanette; Martin, Vincent T

Published In Headache, (2017 Jan)

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To determine whether headache disorders are a risk factor for the development of new onset hypothyroidism. BACKGROUND: Past studies have reported associations between headache disorders and hypothyroidism, but the directionality of the association is unknown. METHODS: This was a longitudinal retrospective cohort study using data from the Fernald Medical Monitoring Program (FMMP). Residents received physical examinations and thyroid function testing every 3 years during the 20 year program. Residents were excluded from the cohort if there was evidence of past thyroid disease or abnormal thyroid function tests at the first office visit. A diagnosis of a headache disorder was established by self-report of "frequent headaches," use of any headache-specific medication, or a physician diagnosis of a headache disorder. The primary outcome measure was new onset hypothyroidism defined as the initiation of thyroid replacement therapy or TSH ≥ 10 without thyroid medication. A Cox survival analysis with time dependent variables were used for the model. Headache disorders, age, sex, body mass index, income, smoking, narcotic use, and hypothyroidism-producing medications were independent variables in the model. RESULTS: Data from 8412 residents enrolled in the FMMP were used in the current study. Headache disorders were present in about 26% of the residents and new onset hypothyroidism developed in ∼7%. The hazard ratio for the development of new onset hypothyroidism was 1.21 (95% CI = 1.001, 1.462) for those with headache disorders. CONCLUSIONS: Headache disorders may be associated with an increased risk for the development of new onset hypothyroidism.

PubMed ID: 27676320

MeSH Terms: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Female; Headache Disorders/epidemiology*; Humans; Hypothyroidism/epidemiology*; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Middle Aged; Ohio/epidemiology; Proportional Hazards Models; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Self Report; Young Adult