Mieczyslaw Szyszkowicz1, David M Stieb, Brian H Rowe. 1. Air Health Effects Research Section, Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1A OK9. mietek_szyszkowicz@hc-sc.gc.ca
Abstract
BACKGROUND: A variety of environmental factors have been identified as possible triggers for migraine and other headache syndromes. OBJECTIVE: We analyzed associations between air pollution and emergency department (ED) visits for migraine and headache. METHODS: Analysis was based on 56,241 ED visits for migraine and 48,022 ED visits for headache to Edmonton hospitals between 1992 and 2002. A Poisson model of counts hierarchically clustered by day of week, month, and year was applied using generalized linear mixed models. Temperature and relative humidity were included as covariates. RESULTS: Females accounted for 78.5% of migraine visits and 56.3% of headache visits. An interquartile range (IQR) increase (6.2 microg/m3) in daily average particulate matter of median aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 microm (PM2.5) was associated with increases in visits of 3.3% for migraine (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.6-6.0), lagged 2 days, and 3.4% for headache (95% CI: 0.3-6.6), lagged 0 days, among females in the cold season (October-March). PM2.5 was also associated with cold season migraine visits among females at lag 0 and 1 day (P < .1). In the warm period (April-September), a 2.3-ppb IQR increase in sulfur dioxide was associated with a 2.5% increase in migraine visits (95% CI: 0.3-4.6) among females, whereas a 12.8-ppb IQR increment in nitrogen dioxide was associated with a 6.8% increase in headache visits (95% CI: 1.5-12.5) for males. CONCLUSIONS: Findings provide preliminary evidence of an association between air pollution and ED visits for migraine and nonspecific headache. Findings were most consistent for particulate matter.
BACKGROUND: A variety of environmental factors have been identified as possible triggers for migraine and other headache syndromes. OBJECTIVE: We analyzed associations between air pollution and emergency department (ED) visits for migraine and headache. METHODS: Analysis was based on 56,241 ED visits for migraine and 48,022 ED visits for headache to Edmonton hospitals between 1992 and 2002. A Poisson model of counts hierarchically clustered by day of week, month, and year was applied using generalized linear mixed models. Temperature and relative humidity were included as covariates. RESULTS: Females accounted for 78.5% of migraine visits and 56.3% of headache visits. An interquartile range (IQR) increase (6.2 microg/m3) in daily average particulate matter of median aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 microm (PM2.5) was associated with increases in visits of 3.3% for migraine (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.6-6.0), lagged 2 days, and 3.4% for headache (95% CI: 0.3-6.6), lagged 0 days, among females in the cold season (October-March). PM2.5 was also associated with cold season migraine visits among females at lag 0 and 1 day (P < .1). In the warm period (April-September), a 2.3-ppb IQR increase in sulfur dioxide was associated with a 2.5% increase in migraine visits (95% CI: 0.3-4.6) among females, whereas a 12.8-ppb IQR increment in nitrogen dioxide was associated with a 6.8% increase in headache visits (95% CI: 1.5-12.5) for males. CONCLUSIONS: Findings provide preliminary evidence of an association between air pollution and ED visits for migraine and nonspecific headache. Findings were most consistent for particulate matter.
Authors: Wenyuan Li; Suzanne M Bertisch; Elizabeth Mostofsky; Catherine Buettner; Murray A Mittleman Journal: Environ Int Date: 2019-08-22 Impact factor: 9.621
Authors: Youn-Hee Lim; Ho Kim; Jin Hee Kim; Sanghyuk Bae; Hye Yin Park; Yun-Chul Hong Journal: Environ Health Perspect Date: 2012-04-18 Impact factor: 9.031