title: Prevalence and burden of headache and migraine in Germany.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine prevalence and burden of headache and migraine in the general population in Germany including patterns of healthcare and medication use.
  
  
  METHODS
  Telephone interviews were conducted on a representative sample of the general population in Germany aged >or=18 years (n = 7341). Migraine was diagnosed according to the International Headache Society criteria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One-year prevalence was: headache 60.2%, migraine 10.6%, nonmigrainous severe headache 24.7% (women 66.6%, 15.6%, and 27.1%; men 53.0%, 5.3%, and 22.2%). Approximately 60% of headache sufferers reported severe headaches, 30% of which were migrainous. Migraineurs reported more often frequent headaches, disability, use of analgesics, and medical consultation than individuals with nonmigrainous severe headaches. Only 42% of migraineurs had consulted a physician and the majority relied exclusively on over-the-counter medication.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Migraine accounts for a great part of the healthcare impact of headaches in Germany. However, the majority of migraineurs do not seek medical care and may not be optimally treated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Virchow Klinikum, Charité, Berlin.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Radtke
authors.forename: Hannelore
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Neuhauser
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006261:Headache / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D009819:Office Visits / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015995:Prevalence; D017678:Sex Distribution
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics