BASH Guideline

Migraine is the most common disabling headache disorder. The Global Burden of Disease study ranks migraine as the fourth most common cause worldwide of years lived with disability in all ages and second in people under the age of 50 (Steiner et al., 2024).

The global lifetime prevalence is 10% in men and 22% in women (Stovner et al., 2007).

Peak prevalence increases to the age of 40 years and declines thereafter in both women and men, though can present de novo later in life (Lipton et al., 1994; Steiner et al., 2003; Stewart, Shechter, et al., 1994).

Chronic migraine is a highly disabling primary headache disorder that affects 2% of the population (Bigal, Rapoport, et al., 2004; Natoli et al., 2010), with reduced quality of life (Blumenfeld et al., 2011), increased risk of anxiety, depression and chronic pain and greater use of healthcare resource (Victor et al., 2010).

Around two-thirds of patient with chronic migraine have medication overuse (Diener & Limmroth, 2004).