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| |  Landmark Study Assesses New Approach to Reduce Migraine Disability TORONTO, ON -- October 27, 1999 -- Results of an international trial released today, involving over 1,000 migraine sufferers, could significantly help reduce the burden of migraine which now totals approximately $600 million per year, or $20 per second.(1) The Disability In Strategies for Care (DISC) trial suggests that the most effective way to treat migraine and reduce the burden is to determine a sufferer’s level of migraine-related disability at the outset, and then match treatment accordingly. "Migraine is underdiagnosed and undertreated. The economic impact on society is reduced productivity and increased disability in the workplace and at home," said neurologist Dr. John Edmeads, Professor of Medicine, U of T and Physician-in-Chief, Sunnybrook Campus of Sunnybrook and Women’s Health Sciences Centre, Toronto. In traditional migraine care, treatment is escalated only if previous treatment fails. The DISC study randomized 1,062 patients to three modes of care: two traditional approaches, and one new mode called stratified care. Migraineurs in the stratified care group were first individually assessed for disability and, as a result, had early access to more migraine-specific treatment if their disability warranted it. To determine disability, each migraine sufferer filled out a simple questionnaire called the Migraine Disability Assessment Scale (MIDAS). MIDAS assigns each patient a disability score based on answers to questions about time lost from the workplace, housework and family leisure activities as well as pain frequency and severity, thereby helping physicians to expeditiously select the most appropriate therapy. In this study, migraineurs with moderate to high levels of disability were treated with the migraine-specific medication, Zomig® (zolmitriptan). Patients in the stratified care group filled out the MIDAS questionnaire and were treated appropriately based on their level of disability. As a result, these patients experienced significantly greater pain relief (69 percent vs 55 percent at four hours)(3) at a more rapid rate than those receiving the traditional stepped-care approach. "It’s important for treatment to be right the first time. MIDAS ensures appropriate treatment at an early stage and could ultimately make migraine care more cost-effective by reducing multiple visits to the doctor, the number of failed prescriptions," said Dr. Rose Giammarco, Assistant Clinical Professor, McMaster University and Staff Neurologist, St. Joseph’s Hospital, Hamilton. Migraine, affects more than three million Canadians and results in an estimated 5.4 million lost work days in Canada each year.(4) "Better communication between doctors and patients using tools like MIDAS, access to essential services and research into a cure will help migraine sufferers lead quality lives and get back in the game of life. All these initiatives are being championed during Migraine Awareness Week, November 1st - 7th," said Georgina Kossivas, Chair, The Migraine Association of Canada. The Migraine Disability Assessment Scale was sponsored by AstraZeneca. AstraZeneca is one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies with a formidable product portfolio spanning seven major therapeutic areas.
References: 1 Winnem J. Prevalence of Adult Migraine in General Practice. Cephalalgia 1992;12:300-303 2 Edmeads J et al. Impact of Migraine and Tension-Type Headache on Life-Style Consulting Behaviour, and Medication use: A Canadian Population Survey. Can J Neurol Sci 1993;20:131-137 3 DISC Trial, Data on file, AstraZeneca 4 The Migraine Association of Canada
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