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Migraine Hits 15.2 Percent of Americans

Posted on: Friday, 11 May 2007, 18:00 CDT

A new survey based on the U.S. National Health Interview Survey indicates that about 15 percent of the population suffers from migraine headaches.

The study also found that women are more likely to have a migraine than a man, researchers reported at this week's 55th annual clinical meeting of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists in San Diego.

Depending upon the age group, migraine is 2.3-fold to 3.4-fold greater among women, said Timothy Victor, a researcher with Endo Pharmaceuticals, Chadds Ford, Pa.

Victor said the statistical analysis found:

-- Younger Americans are at a higher risk for migraine compared with older Americans, and younger women are at a disproportionately greater disadvantage.

-- Although both depression and anxiety are both positively associated with migraine, their effects appear incongruent, that is, as the level of one increases the effect of the other decreases.

-- Anxiety affects women and men differently in relation to migraine. The risk of migraine is increased by 130 percent in men and only 98 percent in women when anxiety is also present, Victor said.

He said that overall 15.2 percent of the population -- approximately 32 million people -- has migraine. He said about 20.5 percent of women has migraine and 9.4 of men have migraine.

The data confirm previous reports that suggested migraine is associated with depression and anxiety and is more prevalent in women than men, especially during reproductive years, he said.

The study was funded by Endo.

Source: United Press International

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