In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Amaal Starling discuss the prevalence and impact of migraines, affecting approximately 1 billion people worldwide. Dr. Starling highlights the genetic and hormonal factors and discusses the different subtypes of migraines. They delve into the importance of talking to your doctor or seeing a headache specialist if you are experiencing headaches and migraines, as well as the economic burden of migraines in the US. Finally, they discuss exciting new treatment options, ones that have been developed over the last decade.

 

 Key Takeaways:

• There is a lot of stigma around people with migraines. Women with migraines and pain conditions are disproportionately stigmatized. 

• 1 in 5 women, 1 in 11 children, and 1 in 16 men are affected by migraines - an average of 1 in 7 worldwide. 

• Different people will experience migraines and migraine treatment differently. They all also have different triggers, though some are more common, such as red wine, nitrates, and caffeine.

• Many new migraine treatment options are not covered, either immediately or at all, by insurance providers.

• Colic in infants appears to be associated with increased risk of adult migraine.

 

"There is still a lot to learn about the genetics of migraines. Genetics is a strong factor in who is going to have migraines versus not, but there are also a lot of other external and internal factors." —  Dr. Amaal Starling

 

Episode References: 

• American Migraine Foundation: https://americanmigrainefoundation.org/ 

 

Connect with Dr. Amaal Starling:

Professional Bio: https://www.mayo.edu/research/faculty/starling-amaal-j-m-d/bio-20147052 

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/amaal-starling-md-fahs-faan-085b58a3 

 

Connect with Therese:

Website: www.criticallyspeaking.net

Threads: @critically_speaking

Email: [email protected]

 

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