The economic burden of migraine: a nationwide cost-of-illness approach from the year 2020 European Health Survey in Spain.

Abstract

Background: Migraine is a chronic highly disabling disease that manifests itself with recurrent episodes of headache. The objective of the study was to ascertain the cost-of-illness (COI) of migraine from the perspective of Society in Spain and to characterize its excess cost.

Methods: The nationwide year-2020 European-Health-Survey-in-Spain was used; 1442 persons with migraine (77.3% women, 52.5 years) and 4288 without migraine (76.7% women, 52.8 years) were abstracted by propensity score optimal matching. COI accounted healthcare resources utilization (HRU) and non-HRU (productivity loss). Costs were expressed as Per-Patient-Per-Year (PPPY) in Euros year 2020, and the excess cost was computed as the difference between persons with and without migraine.

Results: The PPPY cost was more than double in persons with migraine; €5862 vs €2981; excess cost of €2881€ (95% CI: 2410-3353, P < 0.001), mainly attributable to labour productivity loss; €1928 (1532-2325, P < 0.001) annually (66.9% of total excess cost). This excess labour cost is explained by the greater number of additional days of absenteeism, 22.35 (16.12; 28.57), and presenteeism, 31.39 (27.36; 35.41) in persons with migraine, P < 0.001 in both cases. National Health System (NHS)-funded healthcare PPPY cost represented the 29.0% of total excess cost; €836 (618-1055), this because higher utilization of all-type medical visits.

Conclusion: In Spain, persons with migraine showed a meaningful excess cost compared with persons without migraine, particularly due to labour cost component, although the economic cost to the NHS was also considerable. Given the high prevalence of migraine, its overall attributable economic impact for Spain might range between 10 394 and 14 cost 230 million Euros in year 2020.