ARD Midday Magazine Cluster Headache
Epidemiological data on the prevalence of cluster headaches are incomplete. Early data were collected by the Berlin internist and German headache pioneer von Heyck (1976). He estimated that 6% of the population suffers from migraine. Of these 6%, one-third consult a doctor for headaches. Based on information from his practice, he knew that approximately one in 50 migraine patients had a cluster headache. From these figures, Heyck calculated a cluster headache prevalence of approximately four patients per 10,000 people. Similar figures were obtained from an Italian study that estimated the prevalence of cluster headaches based on consultation rates at specialized headache centers. It was calculated that between one and four out of 10,000 people suffer from cluster headaches.
The only population-based study on the prevalence of cluster headache was conducted in San Marino by Benassi et al. (1986). In a total population of 21,792 inhabitants, 15 patients were found who met the criteria for cluster headache. This results in a prevalence of 0.07%. Extrapolating these figures to other countries should be approached with caution due to San Marino's island status, but overall, it appears that there is likely less than one patient per 1,000 people with cluster headache. This further confirms the rarity of this type of headache.
Cultural differences
Whether there are cultural differences in the prevalence of cluster headaches is not yet fully understood. A Chinese study reported extremely low prevalence rates for cluster headaches (0.006%). However, due to methodological limitations, the validity of this figure should be viewed with caution. Other authors suggest that cluster headaches are more common in Black Americans than in white Americans. Whether this is true has also not been empirically proven.
gender differences
Several epidemiological studies provide clear and consistent evidence that cluster headache is the only primary headache disorder with a significant predominance in men. Estimates of the proportion of men among patients with chronic and episodic cluster headache range from 70% to 90%. However, more recent studies have found smaller differences in the prevalence between men and women, around 3:1.