What's on this Page
How common is migraine?
In a given year, migraine has a prevalence of 12% (17.1% in women and 5.6% in men).
Annually, some 35 million people suffer migraine in the United States.
The cumulative incidence of this disorder by age 85 years is 18.5% in men and 44.3% in women, with onset before the age of 25 years in 50% of cases, before the age of 35 years in 75%, and over the age of 50 years in only 2%.
The median age of onset is 25 years. In children, approximately 8% of boys and 11% of girls have migraine. However, only about 56% of migraineurs know that they have migraine.
They or their doctors have made a misdiagnosis of “sinus” or allergy headache, stress headache, or eye strain.
Ninety percent of patients presenting to primary care physicians with recurrent headache meet the criteria for migraine.
Is migraine more common in neurologists and family medicine physicians than in the general population?
Yes. The lifetime prevalence is 47% among male neurologists and 63% among females.
The lifetime prevalence is even higher among male and female headache specialists, respectively, 72% and 82%.
Another study found an increased lifetime prevalence of migraine among male and female family physicians, respectively, 37% and 61%.
The reason for the higher prevalence is not certain, but possible explanations include the following: migraine is more common in the general population than studies suggest (physicians are better at self-diagnosis or recall of migraines); migraine is associated with a choice to become a physician; and occupational stress leads to migraine in susceptible individuals.
