Global, regional, and national burden of headache disorders, 1990–2023: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023
Sharareh Eskandarieh
Andre Faro
Giuseppina Affinito
Yaser Mohammed Al-Worafi
Abhishek Anil
Mohammad Amin Aalipour
Dariush Abtahi
Hiba Jawdat Barqawi
Danish Ahmad
Syed Shujait Ali
Karem H. Alzoubi
Yasser Bustanji
Salahdein Aburuz
Khursheed Aurangzeb
Qorinah Estiningtyas Sakilah Adnani
Deldar Morad Abdulah
Qorinah Estiningtyas Sakilah Adnani
Richard Gyan Aboagye
Jalal Arabloo
Mohammad Mahdi Bastan
Sonu Bhaskar
Mohammad Al-Wardat
Ganiyu Adeniyi Amusa
Demelash Areda
Mahsa Asadi Anar
Sait Ashina
Joseph Uy Almazan
Ashraf Alhumaidi
Mohammad Ahmmad Mahmoud Al Zoubi
Negar Sadat Ahmadi
Andreas Kattem Husøy
Yvonne Yiru Xu
Jaimie D. Steinmetz
Samir Abu Rumeileh
Ali Ahmed
Sawsan Alabbad
Yazan Al-Ajlouni
Obed Adonteng-Kissi
Gelana Fekadu
Hasan Aalruz
Jasvinder Singh Bhatti
C. J. Sanjay
Natalia Cruz-Martins
Edoardo Caronna
Ana Paula Carvalho-E-Silva
Jeetendra Bhandari
Bijit Biswas
Aleksandr Y. Aravkin
Omid Dadras
Hongyuan Chu
Josielli Comachio
Arian Azadnia
Youngoh Bae
Rehana Basri
Jina Behjati
Daniela Contreras
Gurjit Kaur Bhatti
Rajbir Bhatti
Emanuele D'Amico
Anh Kim Dang
Lucio D'Anna
Bruno Bizzozero-Peroni
Meriem Boukhiam
Sindhura Deekonda
Pouria Delbari
Andreas K. Demetriades
Emina Dervišević
Lamiaa Labieb Mahmoud Ebraheim
Ebrahim Eini
Michael Ekholuenetale
Vinoth Gnana Chellaiyan Devanbu
Mohammad Asghari-Jafarabadi
Razieh Bahreini
Bibha Dhungel
Maryam Bemanalizadeh
Mohammed Albashtawy
Fadwa Naji Alhalaiqa
Joseph Uy Almazan
Sohrab Amiri
Asma Ahmed
Montaha Al-Iede
David B. Anderson
C. J. Sanjay
Natalia Cruz-Martins
Valery L. Feigin
Awais Altaf
Ahmed Y. Azzam
Mohammed Usman Ali
Najim Z. Alshahrani
Soham Bandyopadhyay
Xueting Ding
Huyen Phuc Do
Ojas Prakashbhai Doshi
Siddhartha Dutta
Sandip Chakraborty
Luis Alberto Cámera
Azadeh Bashiri
Vijay Kumar Chattu
Amol S. Dhane
Archith Boloor
Patrick R. Ching
Xiaochen Dai
Anis Ahmad Chaudhary
Shahzaib Ahmed
Publication Name: Lancet Neurology
Publication Date: 2025-12-01
Volume: 24
Issue: 12
Page Range: 1005-1015
Description:
Background: The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2023 estimates health loss from migraine, tension-type headache, and medication-overuse headache. This study presents updated results on headache-attributed burden from 1990 to 2023, along with clinical and public health implications. Methods: Data on the prevalence, incidence, or remission of migraine, tension-type headache, and medication-overuse headache were extracted from published population-based studies. We used hierarchical Bayesian meta-regression modelling to estimate global, regional, and country-level prevalence of headache disorders. For the first time in GBD 2023, age-specific and sex-specific estimates of time in symptomatic state were applied by meta-analysing individual participant data from 41 653 individuals from the general populations of 18 countries from all parts of the world. Disability weights were applied to calculate years lived with disability (YLDs). Since medication-overuse headache is a sequela of a mistreated primary headache (due to medication overuse), its burden was reattributed to migraine or tension-type headache, informed by a meta-analysis of three longitudinal studies. Findings: In 2023, 2·9 billion individuals (95% uncertainty interval 2·6–3·1) were affected by headache disorders, with a global age-standardised prevalence of 34·6% (31·6–37·5) and a YLD rate of 541·9 (373·4–739·9) per 100 000 population, with 487·5 (323·0–678·8) per 100 000 population attributed to migraine. The prevalence rates of these headache disorders have remained stable over the past three decades. YLD rates due to headache disorders were more than twice as high in females (739·9 [511·2–1011·5] per 100 000) as in males (346·1 [240·4–481·8] per 100 000). Medication-overuse headache contributed 58·9% of the YLD estimates for tension-type headache in males and 56·1% in females, as well as 22·6% of the YLD estimates for migraines in males and 14·1% in females. Interpretation: Headache disorders, in particular migraine, continue to be a major global health challenge, emphasising the need for effective management and prevention strategies. Much headache-attributed burden could be averted or eliminated by avoiding overuse of medication (including over-the-counter medication), underscoring the importance of public education. Funding: Gates Foundation.
Open Access: Yes
Authors - 104
Sharareh Eskandarieh
57211720158
Andre Faro
36770969600
Giuseppina Affinito
57220067141
Yaser Mohammed Al-Worafi
58143034700
Abhishek Anil
58164007300
Mohammad Amin Aalipour
57221831253
Dariush Abtahi
18036750600
Hiba Jawdat Barqawi
59730836600
Danish Ahmad
57202805842
Syed Shujait Ali
57188688612
Karem H. Alzoubi
8579544200
Yasser Bustanji
8847282600
Salahdein Aburuz
59755057900
Khursheed Aurangzeb
57194517674
Qorinah Estiningtyas Sakilah Adnani
57211604149
Deldar Morad Abdulah
57200190808
Qorinah Estiningtyas Sakilah Adnani
60038796000
Richard Gyan Aboagye
57221438826
Jalal Arabloo
57208760927
Mohammad Mahdi Bastan
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Sonu Bhaskar
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Mohammad Al-Wardat
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Ganiyu Adeniyi Amusa
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Demelash Areda
60264054900
Mahsa Asadi Anar
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Sait Ashina
6505788426
Joseph Uy Almazan
59928547800
Ashraf Alhumaidi
59172792400
Mohammad Ahmmad Mahmoud Al Zoubi
59997998700
Negar Sadat Ahmadi
57200289516
Andreas Kattem Husøy
57144347100
Yvonne Yiru Xu
57226430004
Jaimie D. Steinmetz
60231930400
Samir Abu Rumeileh
59292922100
Ali Ahmed
57201189007
Sawsan Alabbad
57218990141
Yazan Al-Ajlouni
57192869693
Obed Adonteng-Kissi
56841541000
Gelana Fekadu
57216210596
Hasan Aalruz
60262109200
Jasvinder Singh Bhatti
14043178800
C. J. Sanjay
60225493200
Natalia Cruz-Martins
60211464800
Edoardo Caronna
57204017223
Ana Paula Carvalho-E-Silva
56503814000
Jeetendra Bhandari
57190685987
Bijit Biswas
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Aleksandr Y. Aravkin
35386103000
Omid Dadras
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Hongyuan Chu
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Josielli Comachio
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Arian Azadnia
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Youngoh Bae
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Rehana Basri
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Jina Behjati
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Daniela Contreras
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Gurjit Kaur Bhatti
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Rajbir Bhatti
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Emanuele D'Amico
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Anh Kim Dang
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Lucio D'Anna
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Bruno Bizzozero-Peroni
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Meriem Boukhiam
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Sindhura Deekonda
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Pouria Delbari
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Andreas K. Demetriades
7004877691
Emina Dervišević
57209465870
Lamiaa Labieb Mahmoud Ebraheim
57201382941
Ebrahim Eini
56031829700
Michael Ekholuenetale
57189344745
Vinoth Gnana Chellaiyan Devanbu
60262699600
Mohammad Asghari-Jafarabadi
57226675591
Razieh Bahreini
58221294800
Bibha Dhungel
57209098892
Maryam Bemanalizadeh
57220071266
Mohammed Albashtawy
57203680806
Fadwa Naji Alhalaiqa
54895003400
Joseph Uy Almazan
57202002090
Sohrab Amiri
57195335343
Asma Ahmed
60285534700
Montaha Al-Iede
56823547000
David B. Anderson
57206183701
C. J. Sanjay
58122068200
Natalia Cruz-Martins
57203415019
Valery L. Feigin
57203677957
Awais Altaf
57201900507
Ahmed Y. Azzam
57208274797
Mohammed Usman Ali
57726370200
Najim Z. Alshahrani
57222248550
Soham Bandyopadhyay
57205736837
Xueting Ding
58616117500
Huyen Phuc Do
60211218200
Ojas Prakashbhai Doshi
59748102300
Siddhartha Dutta
57217989206
Sandip Chakraborty
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Luis Alberto Cámera
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Azadeh Bashiri
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Vijay Kumar Chattu
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Amol S. Dhane
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Archith Boloor
36192710300
Patrick R. Ching
57226415941
Xiaochen Dai
57221591169
Anis Ahmad Chaudhary
55419607600
Shahzaib Ahmed
58910858100
