Treatment Choices and Patterns in Migraine Patients With and Without a Cardiovascular Risk Profile

Abstract

Treatment patterns in migraine patients with cardiovascular risk factors are largely unknown. A retrospective observational study was conducted to characterize the baseline cardiovascular risk profile of new users of specific abortive migraine drugs, and to investigate treatment choices and patterns in patients with and without a known cardiovascular risk profile. New users of a triptan, ergotamine or Migrafin (n = 36,839) from 1 January 1990 to 31 December 2006 were included. Approximately 90% of all new users did not have a clinically recognized cardiovascular risk profile. The percentage of new users with a cardiovascular risk profile did not differ between new users of a triptan, ergotamine or Migrafin and also did not change during the study period of 17 years. Differences in treatment choices and patterns between migraine patients with and without a known cardiovascular risk profile reveal a certain reticence in prescribing vasoconstrictive antimigraine drugs to patients at cardiovascular risk.