Results of a Web-based survey of 2105 Greek migraine patients in 2020: demographics, clinical characteristics, burden and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the course of migraine

Abstract

The Greek Society of Migraine and Headache Patients (GSMHP), maintaining a strong commitment to research and information, conducted its second web-based online survey named "Migraine in Greece—2020", following its first one conducted in 2018. The 2020 study included 2,105 migraine patients who were called to answer 151 questions. The purposes of the current research were to record the demographic and clinical characteristics of migraine patients in Greece, including the severity and effects of migraine on respondents' quality of life, as well as to survey the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the course of migraine. Our population, internet-based study provides data that will hopefully contribute to better comprehend the clinical phenotype and course of migraine during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Results of a Web-Based Survey on 2105 Greek Migraine Patients—Second Part: Efficacy of Acute and Prophylactic Migraine Treatments and Corresponding Patients’ Reported Satisfaction

“…As previously mentioned, the study enrolled 2105 patients who after completion of the first diagnostic part of the questionnaire fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for migraine, according to both the ICHD-3 symptom criteria [ 18 ] and physician diagnostic criteria. The baseline epidemiological and clinical characteristics of participants were previously described in detail [ 16 ]. Briefly, we surveyed 159 males (7.6%) and 1946 females (92.4%) with a mean age of 32.5 ± 14.3 (range: 18–60) years, who failed to a median number of 3 (range: 0–7) previous prophylactic medications.…”

“…As previously reported, although the data for this survey were collected during the COVID-19 pandemic, the majority of participants mentioned that they did not experience any effect on their migraine, including in treatment attitudes [ 16 ]. This is an intriguing finding given that an exacerbation in migraine severity was potentially anticipated as a result of SARS-CoV2 infection and vaccinations, which may cause a change in the nature or severity of headaches [ 26 , 27 , 28 ].…”

“…The data collection occurred over a period of two months from June 1 to July 31 2020. The methods for conducting this survey are described in detail in our recent publication containing the first part of its results concerning the demographic and clinical characteristics of participants, the severity and effects of migraine on their quality of life, and the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the course of migraine [ 16 ]. The same methods were used in the current second part of results on the efficacy of preventive and symptomatic anti-migraine medications and the patients’ reported satisfaction with these treatments.…”

“…At the end of the procedure, patients were allocated in two groups: those with a diagnosis of migraine established by a physician (Group A), and cases with clinical migraine symptoms who had not been diagnosed by a medical professional (Group B). The flow diagram of participants remained the same as previously presented [ 16 ].…”

“…We recently published the first part of results concerning the demographic and clinical characteristics of participants, the severity and effects of migraine on their quality of life, and the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the course of migraine [ 16 ]. In an attempt to compare the current findings with the corresponding data obtained from a similar survey conducted by GSMHP in a sample of 1091 migraine patients in 2018 [ 17 ] and the results by Constantinidis et al [ 15 ], which both concluded that migraine remains both underdiagnosed and undertreated in Greece, we herein release the second part of results obtained from the 2020 population-based survey on the efficacy of preventive and symptomatic anti-migraine medications as well as the patients’ reported satisfaction with these treatments.…”