Global, regional, and national burden of epilepsy, 1990–2021

In a study to assess the global burden of epilepsy, focusing on both idiopathic and secondary epilepsy between 1990 and 2021, there were significant geographical disparities, with low-income and middle-income countries bearing the majority of the epilepsy burden, accounting for over 80% of incident, prevalent, fatal cases, and DALYs.

• In 2021, there were 51.7 million people with epilepsy globally, with an age-standardised prevalence of 658 per 100,000.
• The prevalence of idiopathic epilepsy was 307 per 100,000, while secondary epilepsy had a slightly higher prevalence at 350 per 100,000.
• The global prevalence of epilepsy increased by 10.8% from 1990 to 2021, primarily driven by secondary epilepsy.

The study highlights the ongoing challenges in the treatment and prevention of epilepsy, especially in low-income countries. While the burden of idiopathic epilepsy has improved over the decades, there is still a significant need for better treatment, prevention, and research, particularly on risk factors for idiopathic epilepsy. Despite the rise in prevalence, age-standardised death and disability-adjusted life years (DALY) rates for idiopathic epilepsy decreased by 15.8% and 14.5%, respectively.The findings are crucial for public health strategies, aiming to reduce the impact of epilepsy and guide resource allocation for healthcare systems, and the study calls for high-quality long-term epilepsy surveillance, better access to care, and further exploration of the effects of stigma and cultural differences in seeking medical help. Source: wfneurology.org, Valery L Feigin, Theo Vos, Balakrishnan Sukumaran Nair, Christopher J L Murray