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Cited by 616Migraine and Headache StudiesTemporomandibular Joint DisordersIntracranial Aneurysms: Treatment and Complications

Migraine in the United States: Epidemiology and patterns of health care use

Lipton, R. B., Scher, A. I., Kolodner, K., Liberman, J., Steiner, T. J., Stewart, W. F.·2002·Neurology
DOI 10.1212/wnl.58.6.885
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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence and distribution of migraine in the United States as well as current patterns of health care use. METHODS: A random-digit-dial, computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI) survey was conducted in Philadelphia County, PA, in 1998. The CATI identifies individuals with migraine (categories 1.1 and 1.2) as defined by the diagnostic criteria of the International Headache Society with high sensitivity (85%) and specificity (96%). Interviews were completed in 4,376 subjects to identify 568 with migraine. Those with 6 or more attacks per year (n = 410) were invited to participate in a follow-up interview about health care utilization and family impact of migraine; 246 (60.0%) participated. RESULTS: The 1-year prevalence of migraine was 17.2% in females and 6.0% in males. Prevalence was highest between the ages of 30 and 49. Whereas 48% of migraine sufferers had seen a doctor for headache within the last year (current consulters), 31% had never done so in their lifetimes and 21% had not seen a doctor for headache for at least 1 year (lapsed consulters). Of current or lapsed consulters, 73% reported a physician-made diagnosis of migraine; treatments varied. Of all migraine sufferers, 49% were treated with over-the-counter medications only, 23% with prescription medication only, 23% with both, and 5% with no medications at all. CONCLUSION: Relative to prior cross-sectional surveys, epidemiologic profiles for migraine have remained stable in the United States over the last decade. Self-reported rates of current medical consultation have more than doubled. Moderate increases were seen in the percentage of migraine sufferers who use prescription medications and in the likelihood of receiving a physician diagnosis of migraine.

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  • About 20% of people with chronic pain have depression, compared with less than 7% of the general population, and this pattern is found worldwide.

    “Approximately 20% of individuals with chronic pain also have depression, while less than 7% of the general population experiences this disorder, and these findings hold not just for the U.S. but around the world 231–235.”

    From Evaluating psychosocial contributions to chronic pain outcomes (2018) · cites this paper as [232]

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Authors
Lipton, R. B., Scher, A. I., Kolodner, K., Liberman, J., Steiner, T. J., & Stewart, W. F.
Affiliations
  • National Institutes of Health (US)
  • From the Departments of Neurology (Dr. Lipton), Epidemiology, and Social Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and Headache Unit, Montefiore Medical College, Bronx, NY; Innovative Medical Research (Drs. Lipton, Kolodner, Liberman, and Stewart), Towson, and Neuroepidemiology Branch (Dr. Scher), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, and Johns Hopkins School of Public Health (Drs. Scher and Stewart), Baltimore, MD; and Division of Neuroscience ...
ORCID
Venue
Neurology
Publisher
Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Published
2002-03-26
Volume
58
Issue
6
Pages
885-894
ISSN
  • 0028-3878 (ISSN-L)
  • 1526-632X
DOI
10.1212/wnl.58.6.885
OpenAlex
W2083727172
Cited by
616
References
31
Citations by year
2026: 7 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 17 · 2021: 19 · 2020: 13 · 2019: 14 · 2018: 16 · 2017: 19 · 2016: 19 · 2015: 24 · 2014: 23 · 2013: 34 · 2012: 26
FWCI
25.45
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Neurology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Migraine and Headache Studies
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › Complementary and Manual Therapy › Temporomandibular Joint Disorders
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Neurology › Intracranial Aneurysms: Treatment and Complications
Keywords
migraine, prevalence, health care utilization, physician diagnosis, prescription drug use, over-the-counter drugs, family impact, sex differences, age distribution, Philadelphia County
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Interviews as Topic, Male, Middle Aged, Migraine Disorders, Sex Factors, United States, Prevalence, Chi-Square Distribution, Poisson Distribution, Linear Models, Health Care Surveys

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