Science / Medicine : Migraines Rose 60% During 1980s
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
The number of Americans suffering painful, sometimes disabling migraine headaches increased dramatically during the 1980s, federal health officials reported last week. The Centers for Disease Control said the prevalence of chronic migraine headaches in the United States increased nearly 60% between 1980 and 1989, but said it does not know what caused the jump.
The CDC’s National Health Interview Survey found the number of migraine attacks rose from 25.8 per 1,000 people in 1980 to 41 per 1,000 people in 1989. The bulk of the increase, 71%, was reported by people younger than 45.
Women suffered from migraine headaches at a higher rate than men for each year, with prevalence among women under 45 increasing 77%, compared to 64% among men.
