Brain HealthSmoking, Diabetes, and Stroke Linked to Higher Risk of Seizures That Begin After Age 65
Epilepsy that starts after age 65 is increasingly recognized, and its causes are often unclear. Researchers pooled data from six large US studies of 42,257 older adults without epilepsy and followed them for about 9 years. During that time, 1,500 people (3.5%) developed late-onset epilepsy. Several heart and blood vessel risk factors were tied to higher risk: current smoking (39% higher), hypertension (17%), diabetes (42%), chronic kidney disease (29%), and prior stroke (nearly double). Carrying two copies of the APOE ε4 gene variant raised risk by 84%. The patterns were similar by age, sex, and race and ethnicity. The findings suggest that late-onset epilepsy may partly reflect damage to the brain's blood vessels, which makes vascular health a possible target for protecting the aging brain.
