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New Delhi, August 19, 2025: Chronic headaches and migraines are silently taking a toll on adults across Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), with new research indicating that one in four adults—about 26% of the population—would benefit from professional headache care. The study, published in the Journal of Headache and Pain, found that adults in the region spend an estimated 5.5% of their waking hours suffering from head pain.
The research team, led by Dr. Debashish Chowdhury from GB Pant Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research and Dr. Anand Krishnan from AIIMS, New Delhi, surveyed more than 2,000 adults aged 18–65 from randomly selected households. Their findings reveal an alarming prevalence: 68% of adults reported at least one headache in the previous year, losing nearly 10% of their time to moderate pain.
While migraines are known to be more disabling than tension headaches, the researchers highlighted that chronic, medication-related headaches have the greatest impact on quality of life. Chronic headaches—often linked to medication overuse—accounted for more than half of the total time lost to head pain (3.1%). Migraines were found in 26% of adults, causing a 2% loss of time, while tension-type headaches, though common (affecting 34%), led to just 0.5% of time lost.
The study also revealed a significant gender gap. Women lost more time to migraines (8.7% vs. 6%) and tension-type headaches (2% vs. 1%) compared to men. Severity scores reflected this trend: chronic headache sufferers rated their pain at 2.5 on a 3-point scale, compared with 2.1 for migraine and 1.4 for tension headaches. This higher pain severity led to greater disruption of household duties, social life, and overall well-being, although paid work was less affected.
Using disability weights from the Global Burden of Disease study, the authors estimated that migraine alone contributed to 3.6% of individual health loss—underscoring the personal and public health burden. Notably, individuals with chronic headaches showed greater willingness to pay for relief, signaling the disproportionate hardship they endure.
The findings from Delhi-NCR mirror earlier studies from other parts of India, such as Karnataka, where chronic headaches were also found to be more disabling than migraines or tension headaches. The study authors called for increased awareness, timely diagnosis, and improved management strategies to combat this escalating health concern.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider regarding any questions about a medical condition or treatment.
Reference: “Chronic headaches and migraines affect 1 in 4 adults in Delhi-NCR, study finds”, ET HealthWorld, Journal of Headache and Pain.
