Migraine is a common, episodic, temporarily disabling neurological disease. Epidemiological studies can identify groups of people at higher risk of disease, and the distribution of disability, as a prelude to devising interventions to reduce disease burden. The examination of the epidemiological studies performed in the Western Countries shows that the 1-year prevalence of migraine is 18% in women compared with 6% in men in the general population. There are, however, important differences considering the different classes of age. Migraine's prevalence in the pediatric age group was well studied. At the age of 7 years, prevalence ranges from 1.2% to 3.2%. Between 7 and 15 years of age, prevalence ranges from 4% to 11%. Some studies show that migraine prevalence is higher in boys than girls at an age included between 3 and 5 years and at 5 to 7 years of age. Prevalence is equal in boys and girls aged 7-11 years and is higher in girls after 11 years. The female to male ratio for migraine prevalence increases from menarche until approximately age 42, where it reaches its peak, 3.3:1. Migraine occurs during the reproductive years in 27% of women between 20 to 49 years of age. The predominance of this disorder and its social, functional, and economic consequences make migraine an important matter in particular in women's health. The hormonal milieu has a substantial effect on migraine in women. An understanding of these hormonal influences in the various stages of life in females is essential to the management and migraine prevention. Race and geographic region contribute to variation in migraine prevalence but the difference between genders is almost the same. A population-based study in the United States compares the prevalence of migraine among Caucasians, African-Americans, and Asian-Americans. After adjusting for socio-demographic covari-ates, prevalence of migraine was lowest in Asian-Americans (women 9.2%, men 4.8%), intermediate in African-Americans (women 16.2%, men 7.2%), and highest in Caucasians (women 20.4%, men 8.6%). These results mirror the meta-analytic finding that prevalence is lowest in Asia and Africa, with considerably higher prevalence in Europe, Central and South America, and North America. Migraine prevalence decreases with advancing age in the general population and the difference between genders decreases too. In particular, women with natural menopause often show improvement in their migraines; therefore, it decreases, perhaps owing the gradual onset of ovarian failure and the declining provocative influence of hormonal cycling, but also due to non specific beneficial effects of aging on migraine.
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