Changes in epilepsy causes of death: A US population study

Area of Science:

• Epidemiology
• Cardiovascular Disease
• Neurology

Background:

• Medical treatments for epilepsy and cardiovascular risk reduction have advanced since 2000.
• Despite advances, seizure-free rates in epilepsy remain unchanged.
• Individuals with epilepsy face higher risks of heart disease and stroke compared to the general population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze and compare changes in cardiovascular, epilepsy-related, and other causes of death in epilepsy.
• To contrast these changes with trends observed in the general US population.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 15 underlying causes of death in epilepsy (ICD-10 G40-G40.9) and the US population from 2000 to 2018.
• Utilized the CDC multiple cause-of-death database.
• Employed logistic regression to evaluate changes in the relative proportions of death causes.

Main Results:

• Deaths due to heart disease in epilepsy decreased by 34.4%, similar to the general population (39.9% decline).
• Epilepsy-related deaths decreased by 25% as a proportion of all epilepsy deaths.
• Proportions of deaths from stroke and neoplasms significantly increased in epilepsy compared to the US population.

Conclusions:

• The decline in ischemic heart disease deaths reflects successful cardiovascular risk reduction strategies.
• Reductions in epilepsy-related deaths are notable and warrant further investigation into their causes.
• The rise in relative deaths from neoplasms and stroke in epilepsy necessitates increased vigilance, recognition, prevention, and treatment efforts.