Response of Treatment in Patients with Primary Headaches and Hypertension: A Prospective Observational Pilot Study

Abstract

Objective: To determine the priority in the treatment of patients with primary headaches accompanied by high blood pressure. In our study, we investigated whether there was a relationship between the decline in headache after treatment and the change in the average arterial pressure.

Materials and Methods: This prospective observational study was performed with 101 patients who were admitted to the hospital emergency department with primary headache accompanied by high blood pressure. After treatment, the decrease in the severity of headaches, mean arterial pressure, and percentage value for the drop of mean arterial pressure were calculated for all patients.

Results: In the study, 25 (24.8%) patients’ headache decreased 3 levels, 43 (42.6%) patients’ headache decreased 2 levels, and 23 (22.8%) patients’ headache decreased one level. The mean arterial pressure value at admission was 118.58±12.65 mmHg, and after treatment at the 30th minute decreased to 98.41±13.43 mmHg. Although there was a statistically significant (p<0.001) decrease in the mean arterial pressure value of patients with 2-3 level decrease in the headache severity, there was no statistically significant (p>0.05) drop in the mean arterial pressure value of the patients with one level decrease in headache severity after treatment.

Conclusion: This study showed that when a primary headache, which is often associated with high blood pressure, was treated instead of treating high blood pressure as a secondary cause of headache, blood pressure decreased spontaneously.