The cost of headache disorders in Europe: the Eurolight project
Abstract
Background and purpose: Headache disorders are very common, but their monetary costs in Europe are unknown. We performed the first comprehensive estimation of how economic resources are lost to headache in Europe. Methods: From November 2008 to August 2009, a cross‐sectional survey was conducted in eight countries representing 55% of the adult EU population. Participation rates varied between 11% and 59%. In total, 8412 questionnaires contributed to this analysis. Using bottom‐up methodology, we estimated direct (medications, outpatient health care, hospitalization and investigations) and indirect (work absenteeism and reduced productivity at work) annual per‐person costs. Prevalence data, simultaneously collected and, for migraine, also derived from a systematic review, were used to impute national costs. Results: Mean per‐person annual costs were €1222 for migraine (95% CI 1055–1389; indirect costs 93%), €303 for tension‐type headache (TTH, 95% CI 230–376; indirect costs 92%), €3561 for medication‐overuse headache (MOH, 95% CI 2487–4635; indirect costs 92%), and €253 for other headaches (95% CI 99–407; indirect costs 82%). In the EU, the total annual cost of headache amongst adults aged 18–65 years was calculated, according to our prevalence estimates, at €173 billion, apportioned to migraine (€111 billion; 64%), TTH (€21 billion; 12%), MOH (€37 billion; 21%) and other headaches (€3 billion; 2%). Using the 15% systematic review prevalence of migraine, calculated costs were somewhat lower (migraine €50 billion, all headache €112 billion annually). Conclusions: Headache disorders are prominent health‐related drivers of immense economic losses for the EU. This has immediate implications for healthcare policy. Health care for headache can be both improved and cost saving.
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The financial implications of lost time show a clear gradient at personal level of probable MOH > migraine > TTH.
“The inescapable financial implications of such losses, reported in detail elsewhere [19], again show a clear gradient at personal level of probable MOH > migraine > TTH.”
From The impact of headache in Europe: principal results of the Eurolight project (2014) · cites this paper as [19]
The level of this impact, and its pervasiveness, taken together with estimates of huge financial cost, have important implications for health policy in Europe.
“The level of this impact, and its pervasiveness, taken together with estimates of huge financial cost [19], have important implications for health policy in Europe, since they are indicators not only of much public ill-health and unmet health-care need but also of high but reducible socioeconomic burden.”
From The impact of headache in Europe: principal results of the Eurolight project (2014) · cites this paper as [19]
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- Authors
- Linde, M., Gustavsson, A., Stovner, L. J., Steiner, T. J., Barré, J., Katsarava, Z., Lainez, J. M., Lampl, C., Lantéri‐Minet, M., Rastenyte, D., Ruiz de la Torre, E., Tassorelli, C., & Andrée, C.
- Affiliations
- Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NO)
- Centre de Recherche Public de la Santé (LU)
- Essen University Hospital (DE)
- Convent Hospital of the Brothers of Saint John of God (AT)
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice (FR)
- University of Pavia (IT)
- University of Basel (CH)
- Corresponding author
- Linde, M.
- ORCID
- Venue
- European Journal of Neurology
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2011-12-05
- Volume
- 19
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 703-711
- ISSN
- 1351-5101 (ISSN-L)
- 1468-1331
- OpenAlex
- W1793427412
- Cited by
- 741
- References
- 32
- Citations by year
- 2026: 28 · 2025: 50 · 2024: 82 · 2023: 49 · 2022: 59 · 2021: 68 · 2020: 69 · 2019: 74 · 2018: 45 · 2017: 43 · 2016: 40 · 2015: 37 · 2014: 41 · 2013: 43 · 2012: 12
- FWCI
- 21.22
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- European Journal of Neurology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Lithuanian University of Health Sciences (acceptedVersion)
- Universitätsbibliographie, Universität Duisburg-Essen (submittedVersion)
- Lithuanian University of Health Sciences (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Migraine and Headache Studies
- Social Sciences › Economics, Econometrics and Finance › Economics and Econometrics › Health Systems, Economic Evaluations, Quality of Life
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Complementary and Manual Therapy › Temporomandibular Joint Disorders
- Keywords
- headache disorders, economic burden, migraine, tension-type headache, medication overuse headache, absenteeism, productivity loss, direct medical costs, indirect costs, prevalence, cost estimation, Europe
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Costs and Cost Analysis, Cross-Sectional Studies, Europe, Female, Health Surveys, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Prevalence, Health Care Costs, Cost of Illness, Headache Disorders, Young Adult
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