A Survey of Greek Primary Care Physicians on Their Likeability in Treating Migraines and Other Common Diseases.

Background and objectives: Migraine is considered the most clinically important primary headache due to its high prevalence and significant burden. Although globally categorized as one of the leading causes of disability, it is still largely underdiagnosed and undertreated. Worldwide, migraine care is in most cases provided by primary care physicians. The aim of our study was to assess the attitudes of Greek primary care physicians toward treating migraine compared to other common neurological and general medical disorders. Methods: We surveyed 182 primary care physicians with the use of a 5-point questionnaire regarding their preference in treating ten common medical conditions, including migraine, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, upper respiratory tract infections, diabetes mellitus, lower back pain, dizziness, transient ischemic attack, diabetic peripheral neuropathy, and fibromyalgia. Results: Overall, with regards to preference to treat, migraine scored very low (3.6 ± 1.0), next to diabetic peripheral neuropathy (3.6 ± 1.0), and third from the bottom to fibromyalgia (3.25 ± 1.06). In contrast, physicians reported a much higher preference to treat hypertension (4.66 ± 0.60) and hyperlipidemia (4.6 ± 1.0). Conclusions: Our results indicate that Greek primary care physicians dislike treating migraines but also other neurological diseases. Topics for further investigation include the reasons for this dislike, any associations with poor patient satisfaction, treatment results, or both.

Results of a Web-based survey of 2105 Greek migraine patients in 2020: demographics, clinical characteristics, burden and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the course of migraine.

The Greek Society of Migraine and Headache Patients (GSMHP), maintaining a strong commitment to research and information, conducted its second web-based online survey named "Migraine in Greece-2020", following its first one conducted in 2018. The 2020 study included 2,105 migraine patients who were called to answer 151 questions. The purposes of the current research were to record the demographic and clinical characteristics of migraine patients in Greece, including the severity and effects of migraine on respondents' quality of life, as well as to survey the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the course of migraine. Our population, internet-based study provides data that will hopefully contribute to better comprehend the clinical phenotype and course of migraine during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Results of a Web-Based Survey on 2105 Greek Migraine Patients-Second Part: Efficacy of Acute and Prophylactic Migraine Treatments and Corresponding Patients' Reported Satisfaction.

Background and Objectives: The Greek Society of Migraine and Headache Patients conducted, in 2020, its second online survey, titled "Migraine in Greece-2020", after publication of the first similar online survey conducted in 2018. To compare the current findings with the corresponding data obtained in 2018, we herein release the second part of results obtained from the 2020 survey on the efficacy of preventive and symptomatic anti-migraine medications and the patients' reported satisfaction with these treatments. Materials and Methods: We surveyed 2105 migraine patients from all over Greece with the use of a 151-questions specific migraine-focused questionnaire in Greek language, which was distributed through the online research software "SurveyMonkey". Results: Triptans were mostly used with efficacy for the symptomatic relief of migraine attacks. About 2 of 3 surveyed patients had received various prophylactic oral medications and the majority of them discontinued these prophylactic medications as a result of inefficacy/safety issues. BoNTA was reported to be effective only when administration was commenced by a trained neurologist/headache specialist, while our current findings are generally comparable to those obtained in our 2018 pre-COVID-19 survey and the pandemic has not imposed any significant attitudes on migraine therapies and corresponding patients' satisfaction. Conclusion: Although a market change is anticipated with the evolving widespread use of anti-CGRPs monoclonal antibodies or gepants in the symptomatic and prophylactic treatment of migraine, it is of great interest to review published results of larger longitudinal population-based studies to further ascertain the satisfaction of patients to migraine therapies.