Migraine has a large genetic component. Certain genescan make people more sensitive to changes in theirenvironment and other such triggers that can bring onan attack.⁵

Although migraine can affect both men and women, women are up to three times more likely to experience them than men⁶

Migraine also affects women differently⁷

• Longer attack duration in women than men⁷
• More comorbidities in women than men (average, 11 in women and 5 in men) and more psychiatric comorbidities (e.g., anxiety and depression)⁷
• In general, the characteristic symptoms accompanying migraine (e.g., nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light) are more frequent among women than men⁷

Although there is general agreement that migraine is different in men and women, the reason why is still not completely understood⁸

• Biological factors – hormone fluctuations may impact parts of the brain involved in migraine development.⁸ They may also raise the production of calcitonin generelated peptide (CGRP), a protein involved in the transmission of pain⁸
• Brain structure and function – sex-related differences in brain function and structure may also play a role, with women having a greater number of irregular brain connections and a lower resilience to the loss of function of certain brain networks⁸

In contrast, results from studies suggest that up to 80% of women, who have migraine without sensory disturbances* experience improvement inmigraine during pregnancy, particularly during the secondand third trimesters.⁷

• Migraine often begins in childhood – around puberty – with a few attacks per year.⁹
• It may progress into chronic migraine (defined as at least 15 days with headache per month) between the ages of 22 and 55 years.¹⁰
• After the age of around 55, the attacks tend to become less frequent, milder or disappear altogether.¹¹
• Hormones as a trigger peak in women in the 30- to 49-year-old age group.¹¹

• Obesity, depression and sleep disorders are all considered risk factors for the worsening of migraine¹²⁻¹³
• Lifestyle factors such as caffeine overuse, stressful life events and low physical activity can also contributeto disease progression, from episodic to chronic migraine¹²⁻¹⁵
• Healthcare professionals aspire to not just relieve current pain and disability, but to avoid migraine progression
• Reducing attack frequency, avoiding medication overuse, appropriately using preventive drugs and behaviouraltherapies, and encouraging a healthy lifestyle can all be useful tools in the fight against migraine¹²