PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Hans-Christoph Diener AU - Kasja Solbach AU - Dagny Holle AU - Charly Gaul TI - Integrated care for chronic migraine patients: epidemiology, burden, diagnosis and treatment options AID - 10.7861/clinmedicine.15-4-344 DP - 2015 Aug 01 TA - Clinical Medicine PG - 344--350 VI - 15 IP - 4 4099 - http://www.rcpjournals.org/content/15/4/344.short 4100 - http://www.rcpjournals.org/content/15/4/344.full SO - Clin Med2015 Aug 01; 15 AB - Migraine is a common neurological disorder, characterised by severe headaches. Epidemiological studies in the USA and Europe have identified a subgroup of migraine patients with chronic migraine. Chronic migraine is defined as ≥15 headache days per month for ≥3 months, in which ≥8 days of the month meet criteria for migraine with or without aura, or respond to treatment specifically for migraine. Chronic migraine is associated with a higher burden of disease, more severe psychiatric comorbidity, greater use of healthcare resources, and higher overall costs than episodic migraine (<15 headache days per month). There is a strong need to improve diagnosis and therapeutic treatment of chronic migraine. Primary care physicians, as well as hospital-based physicians, are integral to the identification and treatment of these patients. The latest epidemiological data, as well as treatment options for chronic migraine patients, are reviewed here.