Research Highlights Impact of Migraine on Career Advancement and Financial Stability

Research to be Presented at the American Headache Society’s 60th Annual Scientific Meeting Highlights the Impact of Migraine on Career Advancement and Financial Stability

[SAN FRANCISCO, CA,JUNE 27, 2018] – At the American Headache Society (AHS)’s 60th Annual Scientific Meeting, leading researchers specializing in migraine, cluster headache and post-traumatic headache are presenting data from a large-scale study that explores the impact of migraine on career and financial stability. Migraine can in some cases be disabling and keep people from maintaining a full-time job.

“Migraine primarily strikes at the most productive times in one’s life and can impact career choice, work productivity, and can have a negative impact on family and loved ones,” said Peter Goadsby, MD, PhD, FAHS, AHS Scientific Program Committee Chair, Professor of Neurology, King’s College London, neurologist and headache specialist at University of California, San Francisco, and director, NIHR-Wellcome Trust King’s Clinical Research Facility, King’s College Hospital, London. “Research unveiled the debilitating effect migraine has on one’s basic foundation – his or her employment – and overall financial stability for the entire family.”

113 million workdays are lost due to migraine each year in the United States. The study, “Perceived Effect of Migraine on Career and Finances: Results of the Chronic Migraine Epidemiology and Outcomes (CaMEO) Study,” found that individuals with chronic migraine (15 or more headache days per month) were significantly more likely than those with episodic migraine (less than 14 headaches per month) to describe negative effects on their careers. They were more likely to call in sick due to headaches and indicated their career advancement had been limited. In some cases, migraine had a negative effect on the career of chronic migraine respondents’ partners, too. Those with chronic migraine also worried more about covering household expenses and long-term financial security than those with episodic migraine.

The landmark CaMEO Study is a prospective, longitudinal, web-based study designed to characterize migraine impact, among other objectives. Data from 13,064 respondents comprised the assessment of the impact, perception and emotions related to living with migraine. This analysis of data from the CaMEO Study was undertaken to quantify the perceived effect of episodic and chronic migraine on career and finances.

About Migraine
Migraine is a disabling neurological disease that affects more than over 37 million men, women and children in the United States. The disease impacts one in four households, one in five women, one in 16 men and one in 11 children in the United States. The World Health Organization places migraine as one of the 10 most disabling medical illnesses on the planet. Individuals who experience migraine have symptoms that include nausea, sensitivity to light and/or odors, skin sensitivity, fatigue, mood change, dizziness, difficulty concentrating, neck pain and changes in vision, including seeing spots, stars, lines, flashing lights and zigzag lines. The risk of other serious diseases is significantly higher in those with migraine, including stroke, epilepsy, depression, anxiety and chronic pain. Despite this, only one of every three people talk with a doctor about their migraine attacks and of those, only half get the right diagnosis. There is also a shortage of specialists focusing on migraine, with only about one specialist for every 80,000 individuals living with migraine in the United States which worsens the problem.

About the American Headache Society
The American Headache Society (AHS) is a professional society of health care providers dedicated to the study and treatment of headache and face pain. The Society’s objectives are to promote the exchange of information and ideas concerning the causes and treatments of headache and related painful disorders. Educating physicians, health professionals and the public and encouraging scientific research are the primary functions of this organization. AHS activities include an annual scientific meeting, a comprehensive headache symposium, regional symposia for neurologists and family practice physicians, and publication of the journal Headache. More information can be found at www.americanheadachesociety.org. In 2010 AHS founded the American Migraine Foundation (AMF) to provide access to information and resources for individuals living with migraine, as well as their loved ones. AMF is a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of research and awareness surrounding migraine, with a mission to mobilize a community for patient support and advocacy, as well as drive and support impactful research that translates into treatment advances for patients with migraine and other disabling diseases that cause severe head pain. Patients can learn more, find help and get connected by visiting www.americanmigrainefoundation.org.

CONTACT: Alyssa Bleiberg, [email protected], +1 212 845 5628 and +1 973 432 7289