Hypertension increases the risk of developing epilepsy, suggests a new study reported in the journal Epilepsia.

The study examined the role of modifiable vascular risk factors in predicting subsequent epilepsy among participants aged 45 years or older in the Framingham Heart Study (FHS). The number of participants enrolled in the study was 2986 with a mean age of 58 years. The vascular risk factors included diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hyperlipidemia and smoking.

At the end of the follow-up period of 19 years, 55 patients developed epilepsy. Among the risk factors evaluated, hypertension was found to almost double the risk of developing epilepsy (hazard ratio 1.93). Secondary analysis of data after exclusion of participants with normal blood pressure on antihypertensive drugs showed a 2.44-times higher association of hypertension with epilepsy (50 new epilepsy cases).

Hypertension is a modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. It is now also a risk factor for epilepsy in older age, as is evident from this study. Hypertension is a very widely prevalent condition. Aggressive management can not only reduce the chances of heart diseases and diabetes, but also epilepsy.

Reference

1. Stefanidou M, et al. Vascular risk factors as predictors of epilepsy in older age: The Framingham Heart Study. Epilepsia. 16 November 2021. https://doi.org/10.1111/epi.17108