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June 27,
2005
| “The ultimate goal of every Migraine
patient and their healthcare provider is a life with fewer interruptions
caused by Migraine pain and disability. . . Preventive medications
can decrease Migraine occurrence by 50 to 80 percent, as well as reduce
the severity and duration of Migraines that do occur. Preventive treatment
is considerably underused as demonstrated in this study.”
Richard B. Lipton, M.D.,
lead study researcher; professor and
vice chair of neurology,
Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York City;
director, Montefiore Headache Unit |
 Results
from the American Migraine Prevalence and Prevention (AMPP) Study indicate that
40 percent of Migraine sufferers – or nearly 12 million people – could
benefit from preventive therapies. Of Migraine sufferers in the study, only one
in five Americans currently uses preventive therapies, however, millions could
benefit from these treatments. The results, presented at the 47th Annual Meeting
of the American Headache Society, underscore the need for more dialogue between
healthcare providers and Migraine sufferers to ensure all treatment options are
explored.
Quality of Life Affected
The AMPP Study shows that almost 98 percent of people with frequent Migraines
take medications, but a large majority report their lives are still negatively
impacted by the pain and debilitation associated with Migraine.
According to the study:
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9 out of 10 sufferers report
they can’t “function normally” during days in which a Migraine strikes.
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Nearly three in 10 require bed
rest.
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More than 25 percent missed at
least one day of work over the past three months due to a Migraine
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Almost 50 percent report that
their Migraines prevented them from doing household chores.
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Approximately 80 percent of
Migraine sufferers experience abnormal sensitivity to light and noise.
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Almost 75 percent report nausea
and vomiting.
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Nearly 79 percent experience
pulsating, throbbing pain.
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“For those who don’t have Migraines, it is often
difficult to understand the pain and life-altering effect they have
on the sufferer and their family.
Suzanne Simons
executive director,
National Headache Foundation, Chicago |
The AAMP study illustrates what you see in other
articles on our site: Migraine care consists of multiple parts:
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Trigger identification and
management
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Preventive therapies
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Abortive therapies
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Rescue medications as necessary
Summary
Preventive medications are taken
daily to reduce the frequency and severity of Migraine attacks. Once Migraineurs
find an effective preventive regimen, they often find that abortives are more
effective for them also.
As more research is done and more
is learned about the disease process of Migraine, there is mounting evidence
that Migraine may well be a progressive brain disease and that prevention of
Migraine as many attacks as possible is the healthiest form of treatment. In an
article in Headache, Loder and Biondi comment, “Historically, the
threshold for initiation of preventive pharmacological therapy of Migraine has
been high, although new evidence regarding risk factors for Migraine progression
suggests the need to lower this threshold and practice a more aggressive
treatment approach toward Migraine prevention.”
If you experience two or more
Migraine attacks a month, please talk to your doctor about preventive therapies.
There's a wide range of preventives to work with, from dietary supplements to
prescription medications.
About the AMPP Study
The AMPP Study is based on data examining nearly 163,000 Americans age 12 and
older selected to be representative of the U.S. population. Based on a validated
questionnaire, researchers reviewed headache symptoms and frequency, impairment,
current or past use of Migraine prevention medications (prescribed and/or
over-the-counter) and use of medications prescribed for other indications but
known to prevent Migraine headaches (coincident use). Researchers plan to
conduct longitudinal follow-up studies in coming years to assess the impact of
preventive therapy versus non-treatment of American headache sufferers.
The AMPP Study was conducted for the National Headache Foundation through
funding from Ortho-McNeil Neurologics, Inc.
About The National Headache Foundation
The National Headache Foundation, founded in 1970 and celebrating its 35th
anniversary, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving headache
sufferers, their families and the healthcare providers who treat them; promoting
research into headache causes and treatments; and educating the public to the
fact that headaches are a legitimate biological disease and that sufferers
should receive understanding and continuity of care. For more information on
headache causes and treatments, visit www.headaches.org or
call 1-888-NHF-5552.
Press Release: “Study Finds Millions of Migraine Sufferers Continue to Live with
Pain Despite Available Preventive Treatments.”
The National Headache
Foundation. Philadelphia: June 24, 2005.
Loder, Elizabeth & Biondi, David (2005) “General
Principles of Migraine Management: The Changing Role of Prevention.”
Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain 45 (s1), S33-S47. doi:
10.1111/j.1526-4610.2005.4501002.x
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