Migraine is the most common neurological disorder in both men and women. However, men may be underdiagnosed and undertreated due to common perception of migraine as a “woman’s disease,” according to a study presented at the American Headache Society’s annual scientific meeting June 9-12, 2016. The study examined the burden of migraine in men and whether symptoms, disability, diagnosis, treatment, and demographics are different for men than for women. 

Participants included 4,294 (25.6%) men and 12,495 (74.4%) women. Some study findings:

• On average, men reported 4.3 and women reported 5.3 headache days a month
• 6.5% of men and 9.6% of women had chronic migraine
• Men’s overall disability was lower than women’s on the MIDAS migraine disability assessment—15.7% of men and 24.1% of women were in the highest disability category
• 28.6% of men saw a doctor for headache treatment, while 31.1% of women did
• 59.2% of men and 77.7% of women received a diagnosis of migraine when consulting with a doctor
• 24.1% of men and 28.2% of women reported using a prescription medication for headache

Although migraine is more common and, on average, more severe in women, 6% of men have migraine. It’s far from being a “woman’s disease.” "Migraine is disabling in men. Men suffering from migraine should actively seek medical care and an accurate diagnosis. Healthcare providers are encouraged to recognize, diagnose and treat migraine in men when they see it," said Richard B. Lipton, M.D., one of the paper’s authors.

REFERENCE

Scher, A. I.; Wang, S.; Katsarava, Z.; Buse, D.C.; Fanning, K.M.; Adams, A.; Lipton, R. B. (2016). Epidemiology of Migraine in Men: Results from the Chronic Migraine Epidemiology and Outcomes (CaMEO) Study. Proceedings of the 58th Annual Scientific Meeting American Headache Society. San Diego, CA: American Headache Society. Abstract OR08.