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Physical Characteristics and Allergic History In Young Men with Migraine and Other Headaches
Author(s) -
Schéle Rickard,
Ahlborg Björn,
Ekbom Karl
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
headache: the journal of head and face pain
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.14
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1526-4610
pISSN - 0017-8748
DOI - 10.1111/j.1526-4610.1978.hed1802080.x
Subject(s) - migraine , medicine , headaches , blood pressure , isometric exercise , hematocrit , physical therapy , surgery
SYNOPSIS Physical characteristics and allergic history have been studied in 436 men 18 years of age with migraine and non‐migrainous headache (NMH) and compared to those of controls. Body height was on average 11 and 8 mm less in the migraine and NMH groups than in the controls (p<0.02 and p<0.05 respectively). Isometric muscle strength in knee extension was on average 4% less among the migraine subjects than among the controls (p<0.01). The average strength of the NMH subjects was for all three muscle tests significantly below that of the controls (p<0.05). Physical working capacity measured on a bicycle ergometer was lower for both migraine and NMH subjects as compared to the controls (p<0.001). Body weight and femoral condylar breadth did not differ significantly between the groups, nor did mean values for hematocrit, sedimentation rate, resting blood pressure, or the results from tests of visual acuity, color vision or hearing capacity. It can be concluded that unselected young men with migraine and NMH are significantly shorter and have lower muscle strength and physical working capacity than controls, although the differences are small. The small group of subjects with cluster headache tended to be taller and heavier and to have higher physical working capacity and lower blood pressure than subjects with migraine and NMH. Allergy to food was more frequently reported by migraineurs than by subjects with non‐migrainous headache (p<0.01) or without headache (p<0.01). Allergy to pollens as well as asthma were present in about the same proportions in all groups (p>0.80).