Prevention of Migraines Migraine Sufferers May Benefit from Treatmentthat Reduces Frequency, Severity of Attacks @ (NAPS)—Migraine headaches are a commondisorder affecting 28 million Americans—about 13 percent of the U.S. population. Migraine is a severe form of headache that results in throbbing head pain, and is often accompanied by nausea andsensitivity to light and/or sound. Migraines can disrupt quality of life at home andat the workplace. preventive treatment. They rec- migraines are the second leading current FDA-approved medications ommendpreventive treatment for people who experience any of the following: migraines that significantly interfere with daily routines, despite acute treatment; migraines that occur frequently; failure or lack of response to treatments taken as the migraines occur; or if the patient prefers to show that take preventive treatment. The consortium also rated the cause of work absence, and cost American employers $17 billion for the prevention of migraines based on effectiveness and side reduced productivity. ing, medium to high efficacy and mild to moderate side effects, to In fact, recent studies annually in missed work and To help migraine sufferers function better at home and at work, the U.S. Headache Consortium recently released new guidelines for the treatment of migraines. Based on years of research and practice, the treatment guidelines aim to help prevent, treat, and improve the diagnosis of migraine headaches. For people who experience migraine headaches infrequently, treating their migraine attacks as they occur, also referred to as acute treatment, is sufficient. However, the U. S. Headache Con- effects. They gave the highest rat- divalproex sodium, propranolol, and timolol. A copy of the guidelines can be obtained from the American Acad- emy of Neurology on the Internet at http://www.aan.com. The U.S. Headache Consortium is composed of physicians and patient care advocates. Members include the American Academy of Neurology, the American Headache Society, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American College of Emergency Physicians, sortium found that of the millions the American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal severe, debilitating attacks—only Headache Foundation. of Americans suffering from migraines—11 million endure 3 to 5 percent take medication to prevent the pain of migraines before it occurs. The Consortium concluded that more patients might benefit from Medicine, the American Osteopathic Association and the National Stephen D. Silberstein, MD, FACP, is professor of neurology at Thomas Jefferson University and director of the Jefferson Headache Center.
