The relationship between vitamin D deficiency and chronic tension type headache

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of vitamin D deficiency in chronic headache etiology. One of the factors involved in the etiology of chronic headache may be vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D is directly associated with lifestyle and eating habits, and many patients face vitamin D deficiency. This study was performed in patients aged 18-65 who applied to Neurology outpatient clinic with headache between 01.12.2017 and 31.03.2018. Ethics committee approval was obtained for the study. VAS was used to evaluate the pain severity of the patients. The relationship between age, gender and vitamin D levels and pain scores were evaluated. 782 patients with headache were included in the study. In Group I; 482 in Group II; 211, in Group III; 89 patients were detected. 32% of the patients were male and 68% were female. In 62% of patients, vitamin D levels were found to be below 10 ng/ml, 26% to 10-25 ng/ml, and 12% to 25 ng / ml. The relationship between vitamin D deficiency and VAS was statistically significant (p <0.01). There was a relationship between headache and vitamin D deficiency. Similarly, Prakash et al. Found that the relationship between pain score and vitamin D was statistically significant in 100 patients in their study investigating the relationship between tension headache and vitamin D deficiency. People cannot benefit from this sunlight due to their unhealthy lifestyle. Vitamin D deficiency should not be ignored in patients presenting with chronic headache.