Background/objectives: Sulfites are additives commonly used in food and wine industries that are associated to adverse clinical effects such as headaches. The objective of this study is to investigate the possible association between sulfite concentration in wine and the occurrence of headaches in young adults. Subjects/methods: Eighty volunteers, aged between 18 and 25 years, were evaluated. Sub-groups (with or without previous headaches related with wine) were created and volunteers were submitted to two wine tests (minimum and maximum sulfite concentration accordingly to weight). A questionnaire was handed out after the test regarding the presence or not of headaches, their main characteristics, as well as other symptoms associated. Results: Subjects that refer a previous headache history upon wine ingestion presented a risk 2266 greater of developing headaches after wine ingestion with a greater sulfite concentration. Those that refer constant headaches related to wine ingestion previous to the test present a risk of 6232 times more of developing headaches compared to those who refer sporadic headaches related to wine consumption. Conclusions: In our group of subjects, sulfite concentration in wine is related to the risk of developing headaches in individuals who are susceptible to wine induced headaches.

Introduction and Objectives Sleep complaints often correlate with other health and social problems. During a national study about sleep habits in adolescents, we observed a very high frequency of headaches, so the aim of this work was to analyse what could be correlated with this complaint in terms of sleep duration, daytime sleepiness, academic success, age and gender. Materials and Methods We used a specific questionnaire that included Cleveland Adolescent Sleepiness Scale (CASQ) and other variables concerning sleep related habits, sleep complaints, health complaints and demographics. Teachers from 31 schools across Portugal collected data between January and April, 2012. We used SPSS to analyse data. Results The 6838 participants were between 12 and 22 years old, mean=14.97(1.99); 53.3% were females. From the whole sample, 53.8% (3671) students reported having headaches regularly. Those with a headache complaint slept less hours during weekdays (p=0.008) and more hours on weekends (p=0.045); they also had more daytime sleepiness (p=0.000), but showed no differences on academic success (p>0.050). As expected girls had more headaches than boys (p=0.000) and there were no differences across age, since all groups had high frequency of headaches (p=0.098). Conclusions These results suggest that in adolescents headaches are also related to sleep deprivation or sleep problems. In the future, we should pay more attention to headaches as a symptom of sleep problems and explore which factors may mediate the risk of academic failure in the presence of headaches. Furthermore, the high level of headaches in younger people across all age groups supports the need of early intervention.

ABSTRACT Obesity and headache disorders are two very common conditions in the general population that have been increasing in incidence over the last decades. Recent studies have shown a significant relationship between obesity and headaches, particularly migraine, with an important role in whether the disease is chronic. On the other hand, no such association was found with tension-type headaches. Studies showing an overlapping of hunger-control pathways and those involved in the pathophysiology of migraine may justify the close association between obesity and migraine. Moreover, a secondary headache for which obesity is a strong risk factor is idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (pseudotumor cerebri), with several studies showing the impact of weight reduction/bariatric surgery in the treatment of the disease. In conclusion, since obesity is a modifiable risk factor, it is important for physicians treating patients with headaches, and particularly migraine, to be aware of the association between these two disorders.

The cephalalgias are frequently associated with the temporomandibular disorders being common to find an increase of pain sensitivity in these patients. Thus, the objective of present study was to assess the sensitivity to palpation in patients presenting with chronic temporomandibular disorders comparing two groups one with headache and other without it, respectively. The temporomandibular disorders and the primary cephalalgias were diagnosed according the Diagnostic Criteria for the Research of Temporomandibular Disorders and by a questionnaire based on the International Classification of the Cephalalgias (2004). Location, assessment and grouping of muscular and articular areas for palpation were carried out according to the Diagnostic Criteria for above mentioned disorders, considering bilaterally the masseter muscle, the temporalis muscle, the cervical region and the temporomandibular joint. Sample included 213 (88.0 %) of women and 29 (12.0 %) men with a mean age of 37.41 years. The mean of number of zones positive to palpation in the groups without headaches, tension headache, migraine and daily chronic headache were: 12.43, 14.38, 15.21 and 15.62 (p= 0.107) (min 2 max 22). The areas of temporalis muscle showed significant differences among groups (p= 0.007). The number of painful points was not statistically different among groups and only in the temporalis muscle there were differences with statistical significant to palpation.