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Scientists have identified an “epilepsy belt” that stretches across the U.S. south
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Researchers looked at data from nearly 5 million seniors, and identified socioeconomic factors that put them at risk of the seizure disorder
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“Understanding where the burden lies is the first step toward uncovering why and helping communities reduce risk,” study lead Weichuan Dong said in a press release
Scientists have identified an “epilepsy belt” in the United States, where socioeconomic factors make seniors more susceptible to developing epilepsy.
Researchers looked at more than 4.8 million seniors on Medicare for the study, published in JAMA Neurology, and found that higher rates of epilepsy were associated with insufficient sleep (less than seven hours a night), extreme heat (95° or more), and lack of physical activity. Those who lived in a home without access to a vehicle had a 1.93 times higher risk of developing epilepsy, the study said.
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A senior sits outside on a hot day.
Epilepsy is a neurological condition that causes seizures, per the Mayo Clinic. In older adults, it carries additional risks, such as extra strain on the heart, and an increased risk of broken bones, the Epilepsy Foundation explains.
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“Until now, we didn’t have a national picture of where epilepsy affects older adults the most,” the study’s lead investigator, Weichuan Dong, assistant professor at the Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center and adjunct assistant professor at Case Western Reserve University said in a press release. “We revealed striking clusters of high epilepsy rates across parts of the South — what we call the ‘epilepsy belt.’ Understanding where the burden lies is the first step toward uncovering why and helping communities reduce risk.”
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The belt stretches across Louisiana, Mississippi, East Texas and central Oklahoma. Researchers also identified an increased risk of epilepsy in Northeast Ohio — specifically, in Cuyahoga, Ashtabula, Trumbull, and Mahoning counties.
This increased risk “may reflect the confluence of socioeconomic vulnerabilities, poor sleep habits, as well as the higher prevalence of chronic conditions, such as cerebrovascular disease, which have been shown to be associated with higher epilepsy incidence,” Siran Koroukian, professor in the Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, said in the release — and pointed out that, given the “strong association between extreme heat and incident epilepsy in older adults across the U.S.” the study’s findings emphasize “the importance of climate change in emergency preparedness, especially given the graying of the population.”
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