[Diagnosis and recent treatment of migraine]

This lecture discusses prevalence, diagnosis and recent treatment of migraine in Japan. It particularly emphasizes the necessity for better medical delivery to patients with migraine. The nationwide population study showed that migraine is just as common a disorder as in other countries. The overall prevalence of migraine was 8.4% among people aged 15 years or older. Severity of migraine was similar to previous reports from other countries. Migraine sufferers in Japan do not consult a physician regularly for the problem. Yet, approximately 70% of the migraine sufferers complained that migraine headache disturbed their daily activity to a major degree. With many migraine sufferers who deserve medical care, the necessity for improved medical care is beginning to be widely recognized. New medicine such as sumatriptan is on market now and its proper clinical use is important.