Long-Term Study about the Incidence of Epilepsy in Male Service Personnel from India: A Retrospective, Cohort Study

Background The data on the epidemiology of epilepsy are limited for developing countries including India. We estimated the incidence of epilepsy in a cohort of service personnel from India followed for over two decades. Materials and Methods The data for this epidemiological study were derived from the electronic medical records (EMRs) of the male service personnel. The participants (age < 18 years) were enrolled into active service between 1990 and 2015 in good health. The data pertaining to the diagnosis of epilepsy were derived from the EMR using the prevalent International Classification of Diseases codes. We calculated the incidence rate as per person-years (py) using appropriate statistical methods. Results Our data included 51,217 participants (median age: 33 years, range: 17-54) with a mean follow-up of 12.5 years, giving a cumulative follow-up duration of 613,925 py. A total of 291 patients developed epilepsy during the study, giving an incidence rate of 0.47 per 1000 py (95% confidence interval: 0.42-0.53). Undifferentiated spondyloarthropathy, central nervous system disorders, and alcohol dependence syndrome were the common comorbid ailments in patients with epilepsy. Conclusion Our cohort had a comparable incidence rate of epilepsy with other studies from India and abroad.