Psychiatric co-morbidities and cardiovascular risk factors in people with lifetime history of epilepsy of an urban community

Objectives

Depression has been consistently reported in people with epilepsy. Several studies also suggest a higher burden of cardiovascular diseases. We therefore analysed psychosocial co-morbidity and cardiovascular risk factors in patients with a lifetime history of epilepsy in the PsyCoLaus study, a Swiss urban population-based assessment of mental health and cardiovascular risk factors in adults aged between 35 and 66 years.

Patients and methods

Among 3719 participants in the PsyCoLaus study, we retrospectively identified those reporting at least 2 unprovoked seizures, defined as epilepsy. These subjects were compared to all others regarding psychiatric, social, and cardiovascular risk factors data using uni- and multivariable assessments.

Results

A significant higher need for social help (p < 0.001) represented the only independent difference between 43 subjects with a history of epilepsy and 3676 controls, while a higher prevalence of psychiatric co-morbidities (p = 0.015) and a lower prevalent marital status (p = 0.01) were only significant on univariate analyses. Depression and cardio-vascular risk factors, as well as educational level and employment, were similar among the groups.

Conclusions

This analysis confirms an increased prevalence of psychosocial burden in subjects with a lifetime history of epilepsy; conversely, we did not find a higher cardiovascular risk. The specific urban and geographical location of our cohort and the age span of the studied population may account for the differences from previous studies.