Characteristics of Migraine in Patients with Headache Disorders: A Clinic-based Study from Central American and Caribbean Countries

Overview

Journal Headache

Publisher Wiley

Specialties Neurology
Psychiatry

Date 2022 Aug 26

PMID 36017947

Authors

Priscilla Monterrey

Monica Gonzalez

Deyanira Ramirez

Fernando Gracia

Freddy Henriquez

Eka Perez-Franco

Alejandro Diaz

Juan F Vasquez

Aaron Benzadon

Jeanine Obage

Diego Luna

Wilfran Pertuz

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: The objective of the study was to measure the proportion of patients who consulted for headache and of those who had a final diagnosis of migraine. We also assessed the proportion and characteristics of patients with migraine and the impact of migraine on the daily activities and the professional and social lives of patients visiting private/public medical centers in Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama, and the Dominican Republic.

Background: Underdiagnosis of migraine is high in Central America and Caribbean urban communities. However, there is limited knowledge on characteristics of headache disorders for the appropriate classification of migraine, which is a prerequisite for targeted treatment. Hence, there is a need to improve migraine awareness among patients and medical professionals in this region.

Methods: Central America and Caribbean countries epidemioLogy study of Migraine (CALM) was a non-interventional, cross-sectional, multinational study in adults aged 18-65 years with a history of or current headache. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients with migraine visiting medical centers due to headache disorders. Using a specially designed migraine survey questionnaire, patients self-reported migraine characteristics, duration, and severity of attacks and impact on work and social life.

Results: Of the 313 enrolled patients, 308 (98.4%) completed the study. Approximately 75.3% (232/308) of patients with headache visiting medical centers had migraine, with episodic migraine being the most common (193 [83.2%]). Overall, 34/308 (11.0%) patients had a new diagnosis of migraine. Among patients with migraine, 66 (28.4%) had a history of migraine for ≥20 years and 59 (25.4%) experienced severe pain. Overall, 52.2% (121/232) of patients reported that migraine affected their professional life and 78.4% (182/232) reported an impact on social life.

Conclusion: The CALM study establishes that a high proportion of patients with migraine had a long duration and high severity of migraine attacks, leading to a direct impact on work/social life as well as on costs incurred by patients in these countries.

Citing Articles

Alternative Treatments for Emotional Experiencing and Processing in People with Migraine or Tension-Type Headache: A Scoping Review.

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PMID: 38998837 PMC: 11241822. DOI: 10.3390/healthcare12131302.

The Registry for Migraine (REFORM) study: methodology, demographics, and baseline clinical characteristics.

Karlsson W, Ashina H, Cullum C, Christensen R, Al-Khazali H, Amin F J Headache Pain. 2023; 24(1):70.

PMID: 37303034 PMC: 10257973. DOI: 10.1186/s10194-023-01604-2.

Characteristics of migraine in patients with headache disorders: A clinic-based study from Central American and Caribbean countries.

Monterrey P, Gonzalez M, Ramirez D, Gracia F, Henriquez F, Perez-Franco E Headache. 2022; 62(8):1029-1038.

PMID: 36017947 PMC: 9545062. DOI: 10.1111/head.14375.

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