Cluster Headache Prevalence Rises as Female Incidence Surpasses Males in Norway

Cluster headache is characterized by excruciating, strictly unilateral pain accompanied by autonomic symptoms, representing one of the most severe primary headache disorders encountered in clinical practice [1]. While migraine and tension-type headaches dominate the global burden of neurological disease, contributing significantly to years lived with disability (a metric representing the time spent in less-than-ideal health due to a specific condition), cluster headache remains a distinct and highly disabling entity [2, 3]. Historically, primary headache disorders have shown a clear sex predilection, with migraine being significantly more common in women [4, 5]. Conversely, the epidemiological profile of cluster headache has long been framed by its strong association with male patients and specific lifestyle factors such as heavy tobacco use [6]. However, as diagnostic awareness improves and global health registries expand, the traditional understanding of who is most at risk for these debilitating attacks is being re-evaluated [4, 7]. A new longitudinal study now provides a detailed analysis of how these epidemiological trends are shifting over time, challenging long-held clinical assumptions.