Today, approximately 12 percent of the global population experiences migraine attacks. And more than one third of these people have at least 15 migraine days per month.
More than “just a headache,” migraine is a hereditary neurological disease that affects people both physically and mentally. In addition to the pain of migraine attacks, the disease negatively affects patients’ ability to work, social relationships with family and friends, and the ability to provide basic self-care and to undertake normal life activities.
Researchers are just beginning to understand the indirect costs of migraine to society. By conservative estimates, migraine costs employers approximately $4,000 per person per year and represents an economic loss of more than $13 billion annually to employers. There also exists a high burden on family and caregivers. Beyond the quantitative impact, migraine robs many people of a meaningful quality of life.
