Characteristics of migraine in patients with headache disorders: A clinic‐based study from Central American and Caribbean countries

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to measure the proportion of patients who consulted for headache and of those who had a final diagnosis of migraine. We also assessed the proportion and characteristics of patients with migraine and the impact of migraine on the daily activities and the professional and social lives of patients visiting private/public medical centers in Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama, and the Dominican Republic. BACKGROUND: Underdiagnosis of migraine is high in Central America and Caribbean urban communities. However, there is limited knowledge on characteristics of headache disorders for the appropriate classification of migraine, which is a prerequisite for targeted treatment. Hence, there is a need to improve migraine awareness among patients and medical professionals in this region. METHODS: Central America and Caribbean countries epidemioLogy study of Migraine (CALM) was a non‐interventional, cross‐sectional, multinational study in adults aged 18–65 years with a history of or current headache. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients with migraine visiting medical centers due to headache disorders. Using a specially designed migraine survey questionnaire, patients self‐reported migraine characteristics, duration, and severity of attacks and impact on work and social life. RESULTS: Of the 313 enrolled patients, 308 (98.4%) completed the study. Approximately 75.3% (232/308) of patients with headache visiting medical centers had migraine, with episodic migraine being the most common (193 [83.2%]). Overall, 34/308 (11.0%) patients had a new diagnosis of migraine. Among patients with migraine, 66 (28.4%) had a history of migraine for ≥20 years and 59 (25.4%) experienced severe pain. Overall, 52.2% (121/232) of patients reported that migraine affected their professional life and 78.4% (182/232) reported an impact on social life. CONCLUSION: The CALM study establishes that a high proportion of patients with migraine had a long duration and high severity of migraine attacks, leading to a direct impact on work/social life as well as on costs incurred by patients in these countries.