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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2004 >> Fresh Research - Clusters in India
        
(Message started by: floridian on Sep 21^st, 2004, 1:57pm)

Title: Fresh Research - Clusters in India
Post by floridian on Sep 21^st, 2004, 1:57pm

A semi-numerical report of cluster headache in India. Cluster headache appears to be less common and exclusively male over there. Three doctors working for 17 years only come across 41 episodic and 7 chronic cluster heads. Think there is a real difference, or that they just aren't measuring it?? Would like to know what those 48 cases mean in terms of the rate per thousand people.

Quote:

Cephalalgia. 2004 Oct;24(10):859-66.

Trigeminal autonomic cephalgias and variants: clinical profile in Indian patients.

Chakravarty A, Mukherjee A, Roy D.

Department of Neurology, Vivekananda Institute of Medical Sciences, Kolkata, India.

Chakravarty A, Mukherjee A & Roy D. Trigeminal autonomic cephalgias and variants: clinical profile in Indian patients. Cephalalgia 2004. London. ISSN 0333-1024The present study summarizes the authors' experience of the clinical profile of short-lasting trigeminal autonomic cephalgias (TAC) in Indian patients. Over a period of 17 years a total of 41 cases of episodic cluster headache, seven cases of chronic cluster headache, six cases of variant cluster headache, three cases of paroxysomal hemicrania, and a single case of SUNCT syndrome were encountered. TACs appear to be rare in Indian patients and cluster headache seems to be exclusively a disease of men. The present report is to the best of our knowledge the first of its kind to be reported from India.

Title: Re: Fresh Research - Clusters in India
Post by JJA on Sep 21^st, 2004, 2:53pm

Yep, I'd sure guess that there's more than that. I think many Indians can't afford to go to a doctor so they just suffer never knowing what they have. Only in men...maybe some misdiagnosing going on too? I guess we could have it a lot worse.

Jesse

Title: Re: Fresh Research - Clusters in India
Post by pubgirl on Sep 21^st, 2004, 3:13pm

I think Jesse makes a good point. Huge numbers of people in India have no access to neuro's or even doctors, and culturally I would bet the women just suffer!

Wendy

Title: Re: Fresh Research - Clusters in India
Post by floridian on Sep 21^st, 2004, 3:28pm

Yeah, poverty is one factor that came to mind - Kolkata (Calcutta) is called the "City of Joy" with some irony. The status of women could definitely lead to less access to care, less diagnosis. But if smoking is a major contributor and far fewer women smoke, that could also be a factor. Being closer to the equator might lower the numbers, and diet and other cultural factors could play a role. Then there's genetics.