Presentation (CTI)

OBJECTIVES: The Brazil Migraine Real-World Evidence study aimed to describe the burden of migraine in adults (≥18 years) within Brazil's private healthcare system, in terms of healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) and direct costs.
METHODS: This retrospective, observational study analyzed private health insurance claim data from 7,382,457 patients between January 2019 and June 2024, identifying 22,417 adults diagnosed with migraine (ICD-10 G43.X). Patients with migraine were compared with controls without migraine (matched for age, gender, geographical state, comorbidities, and health insurance modality). Kruskal-Wallis and Chi-square tests were used for comparisons between the groups.
RESULTS: Patients with migraine (female: 73.6%; average age: female, 47 years; male, 44 years) had comorbidities, including musculoskeletal disease (female: 24.8%; male: 7.5%), cardiovascular disease (female: 12.6%; male: 4.9%), and depression (female: 12.1%; male: 2.6%). Compared with controls, patients with migraine attended significantly more consultations (12.73 vs 8.42, p=0.0204) and exams (30.61 vs 25.54, p<0.001) per person. Mean emergency room visits were more frequent in patients with migraine versus controls (per person: 3.98 vs 2.20, p<0.001), as were emergency hospitalizations (per person: 0.14 vs 0.10, p<0.001). Patients with migraine were approximately 1.6 times more likely to receive individual psychotherapy and physical therapy sessions (rehabilitation - musculoskeletal pathology; 4.84% and 14.04%, respectively) versus controls (3.07% and 9.23%, respectively, both p<0.001). Patients with migraine were significantly more likely to undergo laboratory tests, neuroimaging, and specific electrophysiological exams compared with controls (p<0.0001). Significantly higher median costs per exam (R$ 8.40 vs 7.50), emergency room visit (R$ 127.97 vs 103.25), and emergency hospitalization (R$ 5750.00 vs 5482.68) were observed for patients with migraine versus controls (all p<0.001).
CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrate the burden of migraine on Brazil’s healthcare system through increased HCRU and direct costs. Implementation of targeted treatments, such as calcitonin gene-related pathway monoclonal antibodies, and improved diagnostic and management protocols may alleviate this burden.