Many people with high blood pressure believe there is an association between headaches and their pressure levels. There has been little direct evidence to support the relationship, and doctors repeatedly advise their patients that there are no symptoms of high blood pressure.

Now a new study using ambulatory blood pressure monitoring has provided convincing data to back up the lack of any connection. Seventy-five people with mild hypertension had their blood pressure monitored for 24 hours and kept a log of their headaches. One-third of the study participants had a headache while they were being monitored, but there was no difference in their blood pressure curves from those of the people who did not have a headache. Blood pressure values registered during the headache and in the hours before and after it were not different from each other. Even in a subset of 8 patients who had a migraine, the analysis showed a similar pattern.

This report underscores doctors' advice not to rely on the occurrence of a headache as a sign that your blood pressure is up and the importance of following your treatment program and taking medication as directed all of the time.