Chen-Shu Chang1, Chun-Hui Liao2, Che-Chen Lin3, Hsien-Yuan Lane2, Fung-Chang Sung4, Chia-Huang Kao5. 1. Department of Neurology, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan; Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, and Medical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, Central Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taichung, Taiwan. 2. Department of Psychiatry, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine Science and School of Medicine, College of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan. 3. Management Office for Health Data, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan. 4. Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine Science and School of Medicine, College of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Management Office for Health Data, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan. 5. Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine Science and School of Medicine, College of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET Center, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan. Electronic address: d10040@mail.cmuh.org.tw.
Abstract
PURPOSE: Epilepsy is well known as a disorder in poststroke patients. However, studies that have investigated the association between epilepsy and the risk of subsequent stroke are limited. This population-based study investigated the incidence and risk of stroke in patients with epilepsy by using the Taiwan National Health Insurance claims data. METHODS: We identified 3812 patients newly diagnosed with epilepsy in 2000-2008 and 15,248 nonepilepsy comparisons frequency matched according to sex, age, and index year. We searched for subsequent stroke diagnoses in both cohorts until the end of 2009. The incidence rates and hazard ratios of stroke were estimated based on sex, age, the average defined daily doses (DDDs) of antiepilepsy drugs, and comorbidity. RESULTS: The stroke incidence of the epilepsy cohort was 3-fold higher than that of the comparison cohort. The age-specific results indicated that in the epilepsy cohort and the comparison cohort, the risk was the highest for the youngest group (20-39 years). CONCLUSION: The patients with epilepsy exhibited a higher incidence of cerebral stroke than the general population did. In addition, younger patients with epilepsy and patients who took a high doses of antiepileptic drugs exhibited a high risk of stroke.
PURPOSE:Epilepsy is well known as a disorder in poststroke patients. However, studies that have investigated the association between epilepsy and the risk of subsequent stroke are limited. This population-based study investigated the incidence and risk of stroke in patients with epilepsy by using the Taiwan National Health Insurance claims data. METHODS: We identified 3812 patients newly diagnosed with epilepsy in 2000-2008 and 15,248 nonepilepsy comparisons frequency matched according to sex, age, and index year. We searched for subsequent stroke diagnoses in both cohorts until the end of 2009. The incidence rates and hazard ratios of stroke were estimated based on sex, age, the average defined daily doses (DDDs) of antiepilepsy drugs, and comorbidity. RESULTS: The stroke incidence of the epilepsy cohort was 3-fold higher than that of the comparison cohort. The age-specific results indicated that in the epilepsy cohort and the comparison cohort, the risk was the highest for the youngest group (20-39 years). CONCLUSION: The patients with epilepsy exhibited a higher incidence of cerebral stroke than the general population did. In addition, younger patients with epilepsy and patients who took a high doses of antiepileptic drugs exhibited a high risk of stroke.
Authors: Martha F Hanby; Sarah Al-Bachari; Fadiyah Makin; Rishma Vidyasagar; Laura M Parkes; Hedley C A Emsley Journal: Neuroimage Clin Date: 2015-08-20 Impact factor: 4.881