| Title: | A genome-wide association study identifies genetic loci associated with non-migraine headache in the UK Biobank (N = 120,504) |
| Journal: | Journal of Precision Health |
| Published: | 1 Apr 2026 |
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s44450-026-00004-4 |
| URL: | https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s44450-026-00004-4.pdf |
Publication 18121
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Abstract
BackgroundNon-migraine headache, defined by broadly headache excluding migraine in our study, represents a substantial yet understudied public health concern with high global prevalence and significant impact on quality of life.MethodsIn this study, we conducted a comprehensive genome-wide association study (GWAS) using data from the UK Biobank 2019 pain questionnaire, including 25,460 cases and 95,044 controls, to identify loci associated with non-migraine headache.ResultsWe identified five genome-wide significant loci, including variants near LRP1 (rs11172113, p = 2.27 × 10-17), TRPM8 (rs6724624, p = 9.20 × 10-11), PHACTR1 (rs9349379, p = 8.63 × 10-10), LINC01765 (rs12134493, p = 1.39 × 10-8), and UFL1-AS1 (rs145859244, p = 2.33 × 10-8). Sex-stratified GWAS analyses revealed four loci including TRPM8 (rs758276, p = 5.37 × 10-11), STAT6/LRP1 (rs4759275, p = 1.36 × 10-10), SLITRK6 (rs192920620, p = 7.71 × 10-9), and PHACTR1(rs9349379, p = 1.25 × 10-8) specific to females and one locus with LRP1 (rs11172113, p = 2.10 × 10-8) in males. Transcriptome-wide association studies revealed significant tissue-specific expression of associated genes in vascular, neural, and endocrine tissues. Phenome-wide association studies further connected key variants to neurological, cardiovascular, metabolic, and medication-use traits, providing insight into pleiotropic effects and comorbid pathways.ConclusionsThese findings advance our understanding of the genetic basis of non-migraine headache and lay the groundwork for future research into its pathophysiology and potential precision medicine approaches.</p>
13 Authors
- Yiwen Tao
- Qi Pan
- Sen Lin
- Tengda Cai
- Luning Yang
- Mainul Haque
- Hua Zheng
- Huadong Ni
- Longsheng Xu
- Ming Yao
- Holger Husi
- Victoria Chapman
- Weihua Meng
1 Application
| Application ID | Title |
|---|---|
| 89386 | To explore the genetic mechanisms of multiple pain phenotypes based on the UK Biobank cohort |
Enabling scientific discoveries that improve human health