Migraine Statistics

Although the following information is subject to change and somewhat difficult to quantify because migraines themselves are often misdiagnosed, it might provide some insight into the prevalence of the condition amongst the general population.

Migraines and Gender

Before puberty, the incidence of migraines is almost 50-50 among boys and girls. After puberty, the number of women that get migraine headaches far outweighs that of men. By a ratio of 3-to-1 as a matter of fact. Because of this it’s believed that estrogen may be a contributing factor for getting migraines. However, it’s also believed that men may be more reluctant to consult with their doctors about frequent headaches.

A study conducted by the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) concluded that between the ages of 12-39 women outnumbered men to the tune of 2.8-to-1; between the ages of 40-45 the ratio was 3.3-to-1. When looking at people over the age of 65 the ratio was 2.5-to-1, women to men, although women would be well past the age when estrogen levels would play a role in migraine occurrences.

Migraines and Age

Overall, statistics show that migraines are more prevalent among 35-40 year olds than any other age group. Children as young as three have been diagnosed with migraines although those statistics are somewhat questionable because of a child’s inability at that age to clearly communicate the symptoms being experienced.

People who have migraines as children tend to “outgrow them” as they get older. It’s believed that about 50% of the children who suffer from migraines will stop experiencing them altogether during their adolescence. Another 25% will stop having attacks once they reach adulthood.

Migraines are believed to decline with age. With men attacks tend to decrease when they’re in their thirties; for women the decline doesn’t occur until they reach their late forties.

Migraines and Race

The JAMA study showed that migraines are less prevalent among African Americans, in particular, African American males. This may be linked to the fact that studies have shown that African Americans have higher levels of an enzyme that breaks down tyramine, a chemical that functions as a migraine trigger.

Migraines and Economic Status

Although one myth about migraines is that it’s more prevalent among people who fall into middle and upper class socioeconomic levels, the JAMA study showed otherwise. It showed that migraine attacks were 60% higher among lower income individuals. This may be attributed to “medical economic drift” in which a person’s economic status is negatively impacted by a debilitating illness. The illness affects their ability to work which in turn affects their ability to remain gainfully employed. It also affects their ability to attend institutions of higher learning which in turn affects their ability to get higher paying jobs.

Another factor could be that persons with greater economic means seek treatment more regularly than those that are less fortunate or have access to a higher quality of health care.

Migraine Frequency

Although migraine may occur as infrequently as once in a lifetime or as frequently as several times a week most migraine sufferers have attacks two or three times a month. People between 20-50 years of age experience migraines more frequently.

Migraines and Country of Origin

Countries like Canada and Great Britain report migraine statistics very similar to the United States. Statistics from other countries tends to be lower than that found in the United States, but that may be due to under reporting of data.

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