Italian Study Finds Cost of Migraine Treatment Higher for Women, Seniors

An Italian study in the Journal of Headache and Pain compiled data on 548 people suffering from chronic and episodic migraines to determine overall costs incurred, reports the American Journal of Managed Care . The researchers found that costs resulting from migraine treatment increased as subjects aged. "The main item of expenditure were medications that represented 86.8 percent" of the total costs, the authors noted. Medications were followed by specialist visits, hospitalizations, diagnostic tests, and emergency department visits. The mean yearly cost of medications was $1,435.93, while preventive treatments amounted to $1,222.66. Moreover, the annual direct cost incurred by persons with chronic migraine was 4.8 times higher than those with episodic migraine.