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Who Gets Epilepsy?

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Epilepsy can develop in any person at any age. 0.5% to 2% of people will develop epilepsy during their lifetime. People with certain conditions may be at greater risk. (See "What causes epilepsy?")

About 2.7 million Americans have been treated for epilepsy in the past 5 years. That's 8 or 9 out of every 1,000 people. In other words, out of 60,000 people filling a big stadium, about 500 have epilepsy. More men than women have epilepsy.

When are people most likely to get epilepsy?

New cases of epilepsy are most common among children, especially during the first year of life. The rate of new cases gradually declines until about age 10, and then becomes stable. After age 55 or 60, the rate starts to increase, as people develop strokes, brain tumors, or Alzheimer's disease. (All of these disorders can cause epilepsy.)

Facts About Epilepsy

  • Up to 5% of the world’s population may have a single seizure at some time in their lives.
  • It is likely that around 60 million people in the world have epilepsy at any one time.
  • Children and adolescents are more likely to have epilepsy of unknown or genetic origin than adults.
  • Epilepsy can start at any age.
  • Recent studies show that seizures in up to 70% of children and adults with newly diagnosed epilepsy can be controlled with medications; however, many of these people experience treatment-related side effects.
  • Seizures in up to 30% of people with epilepsy do not respond to available medications.

Topic Editor: Steven C. Schachter, M.D.
Last Reviewed: 10/16/06

Continue to: What causes epilepsy?


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statistics, seizures, prevalence, epilepsy, epidemiology

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