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        New Message Board Archives >> 2004 Cluster Headache Specific Posts >> Race & Clusters
        
(Message started by: KarynG on Mar 29^th, 2004, 3:05pm)

Title: Race & Clusters
Post by KarynG on Mar 29^th, 2004, 3:05pm

Does anyone know if statistics are available breaking down cluster sufferers by races/ethnic groups? I am curious if certain groups of people are more prone to clusters. My mother was Irish and my father German.
Thanks!

Title: Re: Race & Clusters
Post by joesf on Mar 29^th, 2004, 5:13pm

I am italian descent, i get them but no one else in the family. Incredibly the guy who used to live accross the street from me had a history of them to, he was African descent. He is the guy who turned me on to O2 which is what he used. SO I dont think it matters.

Title: Re: Race & Clusters
Post by Luke63 on Mar 29^th, 2004, 5:24pm

Father was Italian and my Mother was Irish/German. No known family history of ha's at all. Just blood pressure in my father...and alcoholism for my mother. No wonder my father had high bp! Luke

Title: Re: Race & Clusters
Post by pubgirl on Mar 29^th, 2004, 5:29pm

Sorry Karyn
I don't have any stats but I know the research team at the London Institute of Neurology state that they believe race is not a factor as CH affects all races.

Wendy

Title: Re: Race & Clusters
Post by Renee on Mar 29^th, 2004, 6:59pm

Irish and American Indian mix background here.

has anyone done a poll on sleeping positions relating to ch? I know if I sleep on left side (CH side) I inevitably trigger the beast much sooner.
renee

Title: Re: Race & Clusters
Post by eyes_afire on Mar 29^th, 2004, 7:41pm

Hi Karyn,

Me:
50% Puerto Rican
25% Italian
12.5% English
12.5% Dutch
... and yet 100% American

lot's of variety.

Renee,
Don't know if this means anything or not, but over the years I've been conditioned to sleep on my right side (opposite my CH side).

--- Steve

Title: Re: Race & Clusters
Post by Lizzie2 on Mar 29^th, 2004, 8:18pm

I can't do a numerical breakdown, but I am Irish, English, German, French, Dutch, Scottish, Swedish, Blackfoot (N.A.), and Sioux (N.A.). I'm your typical American mutt!! ;)

Title: Re: Race & Clusters
Post by Melissa on Mar 29^th, 2004, 9:36pm

I'm about:

40% Russian
40% German
10% Polish
5% Norwiegen
5%French

As for my ancestors having CH's, there arn't any that I know of. Just a bunch of different head problems, i.e. schizophrenia (sp?), alzheimers, brain tumors, bi-polar disorder, etc.

:)mel

Title: Re: Race & Clusters
Post by Charlie on Mar 29^th, 2004, 10:36pm

American Swede here.

I think the stats aren't accurate because of access to information, computers, and willingness to deal with this horror. I don't think there is evidence for a race factor.

Charlie

Title: Re: Race & Clusters
Post by Jill_R on Mar 30^th, 2004, 7:09am

Polish mom
Irish Dad -- alcoholic also

Sure seem to be lots of Irish and Italian blood...

-Jill

Title: Re: Race & Clusters
Post by renny on Mar 30^th, 2004, 7:17am

Hi Karyn G

Here you get primarily Irish, lil bit Scottish, spot of English.....Irish overides, if you are asking anyone in MY family.......

just trying to help karen

Title: Re: Race & Clusters
Post by vig on Mar 30^th, 2004, 9:21am

on 03/30/04 at 07:09:10, Jill_R wrote:

Polish mom
Irish Dad -- alcoholic also

Sure seem to be lots of Irish and Italian blood...

-Jill

um, I'm half Irish, half Italian...

Title: Re: Race & Clusters
Post by floridian on Mar 30^th, 2004, 10:32am

There is a genetic component to clusters. I would be surprised if different groups didn't evolve to have somewhat different rates of CH. But the condition is rare and diagnosis is so spotty that we don't know how many people have clusters.

Latitude is a factor that affects clusters (and complicates a genetic analysis)- they are more common at higher latititudes (away from equator) - this is probably due to greater changes in daylength there. No statistics on the rate of clusters in Norway vs. the rate of clusters among Norwegians living in the tropics, but those numbers are probably different, and that makes it difficult to separate genetics from environment.

Title: Re: Race & Clusters
Post by genss on Mar 30^th, 2004, 11:52am

My grandfather was half irish and he was also an alcoholic. He married my grandmother who is japanese. My mother is a recovered alcoholic as well as my aunt. On my fathers side it's mainly english. I sleep on my stomach.

Title: Re: Race & Clusters
Post by Tiannia on Mar 30^th, 2004, 12:02pm

My dad was German and Frisian (not sure really the family says it is like a Norse ancestry)

Mom is English.

My hubby is the one that is half Italian (Sicilian to be specific because if I called them Italian they get upset) and half Irish. But he does have clusters. :-/ It was the Irish Grandpa that got upset about not carrying on the family name. But he passed away before my son was born, so I was still angry with Shaun. Just plain silly.

I to have to sleep on my right side opposite of my left cluster side, or I will get woke up befor my typical 3am wake up call from the beast.

Dont know if any of that really bade sense.

-Tia

Title: Re: Race & Clusters
Post by Filbert on Mar 30^th, 2004, 1:17pm

Very interesting point about latitude Floridian. There's something there somewhere re daylight changes triggering episodic cycles.I imagine its been discussed before.
I'm approx 6% Dutch,12% Scottish 82% English and 100% obsessive!

Title: Re: Race & Clusters
Post by sandie99 on Mar 31^st, 2004, 3:17am

100% Finn here. ;;D

Title: Re: Race & Clusters
Post by Mikey on Mar 31^st, 2004, 3:33am

Filbert, your right, we have talked about that a very long time ago. The Hypothalamus being the bodys clock, does have some bearing on the changes in the daylight hours and ect...

As for me, I'm French, Irish, German, and Cherokee.
I sleep sitting up in a recliner.

Mikey, ;;D

Title: Re: Race & Clusters
Post by thomas on Mar 31^st, 2004, 8:18am

By order of highest percentage ; Irish, Enlish, Scottish, German, Dutch.

Title: Re: Race & Clusters
Post by KarynG on Mar 31^st, 2004, 9:18am

Thanks everyone for your replies. This is quite interesting to me and I appreciate the input. Again, I am not suggesting that race is a cause, simply whether certain groups of people are more prone to CH than others. Without medical statistical analysis; it could simply be that certain groups of people are more prone to use support groups, message boards, etc.

Is anyone on the board of Asian or African American descent?

Thanks again,
Karyn

Title: Re: Race & Clusters
Post by echo on Mar 31^st, 2004, 9:21am

English / Scottish here.

Title: Re: Race & Clusters
Post by FZfan on Mar 31^st, 2004, 7:05pm

100% human.

Title: Re: Race & Clusters
Post by Turts on Apr 1^st, 2004, 7:51am

100% Aussie, rellos come out on the first fleet.

So I guess true heritage, as it has been traced is Irish, English

I have seen this posted in the past, and there doesnt seem to be any segregation due to race, however a majority od user here are Anglo Saxon.

Turts

Title: Re: Race & Clusters
Post by buzz292 on Apr 15^th, 2004, 5:37am

I'm an African American female, 33, had clusters since I was 18 and I sleep on either my back or the right side. My headaches are always on the right. None of it really seems to matter because I get the headaches regardless...If it's coming, it's coming.

Title: Re: Race & Clusters
Post by HypnoticFreddy on Apr 15^th, 2004, 3:40pm

I'm Jewish

-Ari Ben Yerachmeel (that's my Hebrew name)

-Scott