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9

A focus on migraine, multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease

prevalence rate of 16,828 people per 100,

population (a prevalence of 16.8%).^21 Migraine

also represents 2.9% of years of life lost to

disability, making it the leading cause of

disability among all neurological disorders.^22

See Appendix for prevalence and number

of individuals with migraine in selected

countries. It is the third most common disease

in the world,^23 and women are more likely to

suffer from migraines than men, with studies

suggesting that female sex hormones play a

part in triggering them^24 (see Figure 3).

Given the prevalence of these conditions

globally, the cost to employees affected by

these diseases, to employed carers taking

on unpaid caring duties and to employers is

significant. In Europe, costs related to brain

disorders, which include diseases such as

dementia, headache, MS, anxiety, psychotic

disorders and Parkinson’s disease, are an

(^21) Global Burden of Disease Study 2017, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington. Personal communication, January
2019.
(^22) The Migraine Trust, https://www.migrainetrust.org/about-migraine/migraine-what-is-it/facts-figures/
(^23) GBD 2016 Headache Collaborators. “Global, regional, and national burden of migraine and tension-type headache, 1990–2016: a systematic analysis
for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016”, Lancet Neurol, 2018; 17: 954-76; and https://www.migrainetrust.org/about-migraine/migraine-what-is-
it/facts-figures/
(^24) The Migraine Trust, https://www.migrainetrust.org/about-migraine/migraine-what-is-it/facts-figures/

Figure 3: Global prevalence of migraine

Age (years)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100

Source: Global Burden of Disease Study 2017, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington.

Both Female Male

%; by age group, 2017

estimated €800bn a year, with some 60%

of that related to direct medical and non-

medical costs and 40% of that related to

indirect costs such as lower productivity,

according to Donna Walsh, executive director

of the European Federation of Neurological

Associations (EFNA), which represents

European patient support organisations for

people with neurological conditions.

“In terms of migraine and MS, there are more

similarities than differences,” she observes.

“The challenge with neurological conditions is

that they are chronic but fluctuating in nature.

People can be fine for a long time, then have

episodes where they can’t come to work or

aren’t as productive at work.”

In the next chapter we will review each of the

diseases and the particular burden it has on

the three groups in the workplace.