RESEARCH - Migraine prevalence, disease burden, and the need for preventive therapy

March 6, 2007

Neurology. 2007 Jan 30;68(5):343-9.

Migraine prevalence, disease burden, and the need for preventive therapy.

Department of Neurology, The Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300

Park Avenue, Bronx, NY 10461, USA. rlipton@...

OBJECTIVES: 1) To reassess the prevalence of migraine in the United States;

2) to assess patterns of migraine treatment in the population; and 3) to

contrast current patterns of preventive treatment use with recommendations

for use from an expert headache panel. METHODS: A validated

self-administered headache questionnaire was mailed to 120,000 US

households, representative of the US population. Migraineurs were identified

according to the criteria of the second edition of the International

Classification of Headache Disorders. Guidelines for preventive medication

use were developed by a panel of headache experts. Criteria for consider or

offer prevention were based on headache frequency and impairment. RESULTS:

We assessed 162,576 individuals aged 12 years or older. The 1-year period

prevalence for migraine was 11.7% (17.1% in women and 5.6% in men).

Prevalence peaked in middle life and was lower in adolescents and those

older than age 60 years. Of all migraineurs, 31.3% had an attack frequency

of three or more per month, and 53.7% reported severe impairment or the need

for bed rest. In total, 25.7% met criteria for " offer prevention, " and in an

additional 13.1%, prevention should be considered. Just 13.0% reported

current use of daily preventive migraine medication.

CONCLUSIONS: Compared with previous studies, the epidemiologic profile of

migraine has remained stable in the United States during the past 15 years.

More than one in four migraineurs are candidates for preventive therapy, and

a substantial proportion of those who might benefit from prevention do not

receive it.

PMID: 17261680

ctPlus & list_uids=17261680

Not an MD

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