Who suffers from migraine?

Migraine occurs more frequently within families, and children with an affected parent are 1.5 to 4 times more likely to suffer a migraine. Studies of twins have also shown that about half of the individual migraine risk is determined by environmental factors and the other half by genetic factors. Migraine can have many causes and take various courses.

The first experience of migraine usually occurs during adolescence. Its prevalence (the frequency of the disease) peaks at the age of 40 to 45 and then decreases again with increasing age. At approx. 20% and 7% respectively, women are much more likely to be affected than men.