Migraine sufferers report worse health-related quality of life than the general population and have similar health status scores as people with debilitating chronic illnesses, such as diabetes and heart disease. A recent study, “Migraine frequency and health utilities: findings from a multi-site survey,” published in Value in Health, surveyed 150 migraine patients in the U.S. to study how migraine frequency affects quality of life. The study was co-authored by Jeffrey Brown, PhD (Harvard Medical School/Harvard Pilgrim Health Care), Peter J. Neumann, ScD (Tufts-New England Medical Center Institute for Clinical Research and Health Policy), George Papadopoulos (Schering-Plough Corporation), Gary Ruoff, MD (Westside Family Medical Center), Merle Diamond, MD (Diamond Headache Clinic), and Joseph Menzin, PhD (Boston Health Economics, Inc.). The lead author, Dr. Brown, says, “We found that 45% of patients reported that their migraines were moderately or very disruptive to … Read more

There are nearly 28 million people in the United States aged 12 and older – nearly 13 percent of the population – suffering from headaches that fit the medical definition of migraine established by the IHS.  This means one in every four U.S. households has a migraine sufferer.  More than half of these sufferers have never received a physician diagnosis and most are not receiving the most appropriate treatment, despite new and effective therapies designed specifically to treat the pain and symptoms of migraine.  There have been no dramatic changes in the way physicians approach the treatment of migraine in the last ten years.   Key Findings Total U.S. migraine prevalence was virtually the same in 1999 (12.6 percent of the total population aged 12 and older) vs. 1989 (12.1 percent).  However, the total number of sufferers has increased from 24 … Read more

Adolescents from low-income families are much more likely to suffer from migraine headaches than teens from wealthier households, according to researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University. The findings, published in the July 3rd issue of Neurology, suggest that factors associated with low socioeconomic status–stress, poor diet and limited access to medical care, for example– increase the prevalence of migraines in young people. Led by Dr. Marcelo Bigal, assistant professor of neurology, the Einstein researchers mailed a headache questionnaire to 120,000 households encompassing 257,399 residents–a sample representative of the U.S. population with respect to gender, age and geographic region. More than 32,000 teens were identified in this sample, and more than half of them (58.4 percent) answered the questionnaire. It is well known that heredity strongly influences whether someone will develop migraine headaches. So when this … Read more

For every man with a migraine, three women are struck by the severe headaches that often come with nausea, sensitivity to light and sound, and aura. That means a staggering 18 to 25 percent of women suffer from migraines, making it one of the most common disabling conditions faced by women around the globe. This 3-to-1 ratio raises the obvious question: Why? The reason, suggest researchers at UCLA, is that women may have a faster trigger than men for activating the waves of brain activity thought to underlie migraines. If the theory is correct, this triggering mechanism may be a new target for migraine treatment. Reporting in the Annals of Neurology, currently online, Dr. Andrew Charles, director of the Headache Research and Treatment Program in the UCLA Department of Neurology; Dr. Kevin C. Brennan, a clinical and research fellow in … Read more

Migraines are more than a bad headache. As nearly 30 million Americans can attest, the throbbing pain of a migraine can be debilitating, lasting from a few hours to several days. The condition can be aggravated by light, sounds, odors, exercise, even routine physical activities. Nausea, with or without vomiting, may occur. Fortunately, treatment helps most people who have migraines. Doctors may recommend preventive medications for patients who have two or more debilitating episodes a month. Typically the medication is taken at regular intervals, often daily. Antidepressants, anti-seizure medications and cardiovascular drugs may help prevent migraines. Infrequently, nonprescription nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) or naproxen sodium (Aleve, others) may help. Injections of botulinum toxin type A (Botox) is an alternative for people who can’t take or don’t respond well to preventive medications. However, this use … Read more