North America and Western Europe

摘要

Headache disorders are highly prevalent worldwide. In this chapter we review the epidemiology and burden of headache in North America and Europe, focusing on migraine and Chronic Daily Headache (CDH) in particular-for which epidemiologic data are most abundant. We highlight prevalence data for headache in childhood and late adulthood, because the epidemiology of headache in these groups is less well described. We also summarize the population-based data related to economic costs of migraine including direct medical costs and work loss. Prevalence: Headache disorders-migraine and CDH in particular-have been well characterized in numerous non-clinical populations of North America and Western Europe. From a recent aggregation of worldwide headache studies, the one-year prevalence of migraine in adults is about 15% (18% women, 7% men) in European population studies and about 13% (18% women, 6% men) in studies from North America. Migraine prevalence has been characterized by the well-known inverted 'U' shape, with peak prevalence in middle age (Fig. 1.1). Prevalence peaks in the thirties for both men and women and is roughly two to three times as common in women compared with men through the lifespan. Nevertheless, migraine is a common neurological disorder in both men and women and in all age groups measured.