EMHA Migraine in Women Survey
In 2025, EMHA launched the largest European survey on hormonal migraine. The questionnaire targeted the general population, with 5,410 women screened-positive for migraine, forming the sample of the survey. With oversight from an interdisciplinary Scientific Committee, we set out to understand how hormonal life stages-menstruation, pregnancy, menopause-affect migraine, and how healthcare responds.
The results reveal a clear pattern of need and a clear gap in care.
The evidence base​
Summary of the "Migraine in Women" survey results
The survey sheds light on how hormonal changes influence migraine across women’s lives and highlights important opportunities to improve diagnosis and care. Many women report a clear relationship between the timing and intensity of migraine attacks and their menstrual cycle. At the same time, the overall symptom burden remains high, while only a small proportion of respondents report being satisfied with their current treatment.
Significant gaps persist in both diagnosis and care-seeking. Despite evidence that personalised approaches can improve outcomes, the link between hormones and migraine is still insufficiently discussed in clinical settings.
EMHA calls for urgent action on hormonally related migraine, built on three pillars:
Recognise. Diagnose. Treat.
Scientific Committee
PROJECT'S LEADERSHIP / COORDINATION
Prof. Peter Goadsby
Neurologist - Wellcome Trust King's Clinical Research Facility (The UK)
Dr. Patricia Pozo-Rosich
Neurologist - Vall D'Hebrón Hospital (Spain)
Prof. Anne MacGregor
Neurologist & Women's Headache Specialist at Barts Health NHS Trust
Dr. Emile Couturier
Neurologist specialising in headache medicine. Affiliated with the Headache Clinic at the Neurologie Centrum Amsterdam, MC Boerhaave
Prof. Rossella Nappi
Gynecologist & Endocrinologist (Ob/Gyn) with a focus on women's hormonal health and migraine at San Matteo Hospital, Pavia, Italy
Dr. Gabriele Merki
Gynecologist / Obstetrician & Reproductive Endocrinologist at University Hospital Zürich, Switzerland
Dr. David Watson
General Practitioner with a focus in headache in Hamilton Medical Group, Aberdeen
