The socio-economic burden of migraine: yesterday and today

Migraine is the most frequent and costly type of headache. The analysis of the «cost of the disease» implies an assessment of direct and indirect costs expressed in monetary units. Drastic changes have recently occurred in approaches to the treatment of the disease, in connection with which there are large differences in the structure of the economic burden «yesterday and today». «Yesterday» knowledge about the pathophysiology of migraine was insufficient and various nonspecific agents were used to treat the disease, the antimigrenous effect of which was manifested as an additional one. The relatively low prices of these ineffective drugs for relieving attacks and preventing migraines were accompanied by high indirect costs due to temporary disability of patients, frequent time off from work, decreased labor productivity, family troubles, etc. Therefore, «yesterday»: the indirect costs associated with migraine therapy outweighed the direct costs. «Today» the cost of drugs for the prevention and pathogenetic agents for the relief of migraine attacks has become significantly higher and their costs are the main part of the costs of migraine therapy, However, the effectiveness of new pathogenetic agents for the treatment of migraines helps to reduce indirect costs and improve the quality of life. Awareness of the change in the ratio of direct and indirect costs, as well as the causes of this phenomenon, will increase patient compliance, correctly allocate costs and ultimately save personal and public financial resources.