Global Burden of Headaches: Prevalence and Pregnancy-Related Risks

A recent estimate of global headache prevalence finds that almost a third of people worldwide experience headache disorders, underscoring a major public-health challenge and creating immediate pressure on planning and clinical services.

This higher prevalence recalibrates outpatient and primary-care caseload expectations, increasing routine diagnostic and management demand and driving measurable upticks in referrals and chronic-care follow-up that services must incorporate into near-term planning.

Regional variation is pronounced: some areas show substantially higher prevalence, producing uneven operational effects. Appointment demand, diagnostic imaging and laboratory use, and medication access will cluster in high-prevalence regions, magnifying local workforce strain. That pattern calls for regionally tailored resource allocation and service-design responses.

Migraine in pregnancy carries a higher risk of cerebrovascular events and other maternal complications, creating a distinct peripartum concern. This association supports enhanced maternal risk stratification and targeted antenatal surveillance—particularly rigorous blood-pressure control and vigilance for new or evolving neurological symptoms. It's important to consider structured peripartum monitoring for at-risk patients and maintain a low threshold for multidisciplinary consultation with neurology or maternal–fetal medicine when complications are suspected. Integrate pregnancy-specific risk pathways into headache-care and obstetric services to close the care loop.