9% response rate). Twenty-eight thousand two hundred sixty-one (17.4%) reported “severe headache” in the preceding year (23.5% of females and 10.6% of males), 11.8% met International Classification of Headache Disorders-2 criteria for migraine (17.3% of females and 5.7% of males), 4.6% met criteria for PM (5.3% of females and 3.9% of males), and 1.0% were categorized with other severe headache (0.9% of females and 1.0% of males). Sex differences were observed in the prevalence of migraine and PM, but not for other severe headache. Adjusted female to male prevalence ratios ranged from 1.48 to 3.25 across the lifetime
for migraine and from 1.22 to 1.53 for PM. Sex differences were also observed in associated symptomology, aura, www.selleckchem.com/products/Adriamycin.html headache-related disability, healthcare resource utilization, and diagnosis for migraine and PM. Despite higher rates of migraine diagnosis by a healthcare professional, females with migraine were less likely than males to be using
preventive pharmacologic treatment for headache. In this large, US population Angiogenesis antagonist sample, both migraine and PM were more common among females, but a sex difference was not observed in the prevalence of other severe headache. The sex difference in migraine and PM held true across age and for most other sociodemographic variables with the exception of race for PM. Females with migraine and PM had higher rates of most migraine symptoms, aura, greater associated impairment, and higher healthcare resource utilization than males. Corresponding sex differences were not observed among individuals with other severe headache on the majority of these comparisons. Results suggest that PM is part of the migraine spectrum whereas other severe headache types are not. Results also substantiate existing literature on sex differences in primary headaches and extend results to
additional headache types and related factors. With few exceptions, it is well established that the majority of primary headache disorders have a higher prevalence in females than males. A review of global population estimates of primary headache subtypes of 107 studies from 6 continents reported prevalence of 42% for tension-type headache, 11% for migraine, and 3% chronic daily headache (3%).[1] Although the report found differences in the Nintedanib (BIBF 1120) prevalence of headache across continents, all three of these headache types were more prevalent among females compared to males on every continent. Female to male sex prevalence ratios (PRs) are most dramatic in migraine and chronic daily headache but also exist in tension-type headache. In fact, the only primary headache types that have not demonstrated a female preponderance are the trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias. The majority of these headache types are more common in men, especially cluster headache, which has female to male sex prevalence estimates ranging from 1 : 3.5 to 1 : 7.