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Increasing Number of Women Affected by Migraine Headaches
ST. PAUL, MN -- The number of women affected by migraines increased by 56 percent in the 1980s, according to a study in the October 22 issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Examining medical records of migraine headaches in 1979-1981 and 1989-1990, researchers found that more migraine headaches were reported to physicians at the end of the decade than in the beginning. Stress, dieting and greater recognition of migraine symptoms may be responsible for the increase in women reporting first-time migraines.
"Because migraine appears to be occurring more frequently, people should know that physicians can help treat migraines," said neurologist and study author Jerry Swanson, MD, of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. "Many effective treatments are available for migraine."
Women aged 20 to 29 had the highest increase in migraine headaches during the 1980s. For every 100,000 women aged 20-29, researchers identified 600 first-time cases of migraine headaches per year reported in the early 1980s. Later in the decade, per year nearly 1,000 of every 100,000 women in the same age group reported their first migraine headache.
For every 100,000 men aged 20-29 researchers identified approximately 200 new cases of migraines in a year during the early '80s. The same aged men reported nearly 250 new cases later in the decade.
Researchers investigated migraine trends of people living in Olmsted County in southeast Minnesota. Approximately 70 percent of the county's residents live in Rochester, where the Mayo Clinic is located. To identify first-time migraine patients during the 1980s, researchers examined medical records for all people within the county. The study did not include people who experienced migraines but never consulted a physician for their headaches.
This increase may be explained by a greater awareness that physicians and the public have about migraine and its symptoms. "Awareness of migraine symptoms could have caused more people to seek medical attention," said Walter Rocca, MD, MPH, also of the Mayo Clinic.
Another explanation could relate to the increase in single-parent families, women in the workplace and diets with fasting. "In the 1980s more women were divorced, joining the workforce or the sole child care provider," said Rocca. "These changes may have increased the stress in these young women and in turn the stress may have triggered more women to have migraines for the first time."
Many people with migraines never consult a doctor for their headaches, said researchers. An unrelated study published in 1998 suggests that nearly 68 percent of women and 57 percent of men with migraines never consult a doctor. "In recent years there have been significant changes in how migraines are treated," said Swanson. "Migraine is a medical illness that physicians can help treat. I encourage everyone with migraine symptoms to seek treatment."
A migraine headache is a periodic, throbbing headache -- usually on one side of the head. Migraine can strike anyone, at any age. It is most common in young women.
Symptoms of migraine include: moderate to severe headaches that last from four to 72 hours; a throbbing pain, often on one side of the head; increased pain when a person moves or exercises; pain accompanied by an upset stomach and/or sensitivity to light, sound and odors.
Research was supported by the National Institutes of Health and GlaxoWellcome Inc., which makes medication to treat migraine headaches.
The American Academy of Neurology, an association of more than 16,000 neurologists and neuroscience professionals, is dedicated to improving patient care through education and research.
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