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Epilepsy Among Poor Health and Low Income Americans is More Common than Previously Thought

Epilepsy News From: Wednesday, June 05, 2013

In the April 24, 2013 NeurologyDoctors Kaikoriboon and colleagues from Case Western Medical Center present an important study looking at how common epilepsy is among low income Americans. The paper, which used Ohio Medicaid insurance claims as its source-- because Medicaid insurance typically covers a poorer population-- found

  • The incidence of epilepsy was 362 people per 100,000 person years.

  • A prevalence of 13.2 per 1,000 person years- far higher than what is currently reported for the overall US population.

  • The incidence and prevalence was highest:

    • In men,

    • older individuals,

    • African Americans, and

    • and people with preexisting disability and comorbid conditions.

  • The most common comorbid conditions were

    • depression,

    • developmental disorders,

    • stroke,

    • brain tumor, and

    • traumatic brain injury.

  • The authors concluded that more attention for healthcare and support services is needed for this group.

Authored by

Joseph I. Sirven MD

Reviewed Date

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

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