Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39738973›Full record

ReviewPain and therapy2025

Prevalence, Treatment, and Unmet Needs of Migraine in the Middle East: A Systematic Review.

Taoufik Alsaadi, AbuBakar Al Madani, Mohammed Alhatou, Mona Nada, Abdulrazaq Albilali, Ahmed Al-Qassabi, Hegab Mohamed, Haytham Mohamed, Rowan El Masry, Ghaidaa Ahmed Saifuddin and 1 more

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Pain and therapy, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Taoufik AlsaadiChair of the Department of Neurology, American Center for Psychiatry and Neurology, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. talsaadi@live.ca.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7513-5706
AbuBakar Al MadaniDepartment of Neurology, Rashid Hospital, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Mohammed AlhatouDepartment of Neurology, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
Mona NadaDepartment of Neurology, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.
Abdulrazaq AlbilaliNeurology Unit, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Ahmed Al-QassabiNeurology Unit, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine & Health Sciences and Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman.
Hegab MohamedPfizer Inc, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Haytham MohamedPfizer Inc, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2883-3317
Rowan El MasryPfizer Inc, Cairo, Egypt.
Ghaidaa Ahmed SaifuddinPfizer Inc, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Suhail Abdullah AlRuknConsultant Neurology, Head of Stroke Program, Rashid Hospital, Dubai Medical College, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionMigraine is a debilitating neurological disorder characterized by recurrent throbbing, moderate-to-severe headaches that disrupt daily chores, leisure, and social activities of patients, impacting their overall quality of life (QoL). Despite the high disease burden, there is a scarcity of data on migraines within the Middle East (ME) region. Thus, a systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted to examine epidemiological data, treatment patterns, QoL, and unmet needs regarding migraines in the ME region.

methodsElectronic searches were carried out using the MEDLINE® and Embase® databases via the OvidSP® platform for articles published prior to April 2024. The inclusion and exclusion criteria for the selection of studies were based on the Patients, Intervention, Comparator, Outcomes, and Study design framework, which identified 42 studies.

resultsThe prevalence of migraines reported from the region ranged between 2.6 and 32%, and the average age of patients with migraines reported in these studies ranged from 27 to 37.5 years. The data indicated a gender disparity in migraine prevalence, with women exhibiting a 2- to 2.5-fold higher prevalence. Common comorbidities reported were depression, anxiety, and irritable bowel disease. Migraines significantly impact patients' physical and emotional well-being, leading to disabilities and loss of productivity. The most common triggers of migraines were sleep disorders, dietary habits, and stress. The current treatment landscape for acute migraines encompasses anti-inflammatory agents, analgesics, triptans, ditans, calcitonin-gene-related peptides, and antiemetics. However, migraines in the region are often underestimated, underreported, and undertreated. Several unmet needs persist in the region, including delayed referral along with delayed diagnosis, misdiagnosis, poor treatment adherence, limited accessibility to treatments, and a lack of awareness among health care providers and patients.

conclusionsThe SLR highlights knowledge gaps in clinical aspects and the treatment of migraines and enables clinicians to make informed decisions to ensure optimal patient outcomes in diverse clinical settings.

Indexed as

ComorbidityEpidemiologyMiddle EastMigraineQuality of LifeTreatments

Identifiers

PMID39738973
PMCPMC11751246

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.