Epilepsy: 10 French people in 1,000 are treated for this disease, revealing both social and territorial inequalities

About ten French people in 1,000 are being treated for epilepsy, a disabling disease that is still poorly understood, or nearly 700,000 people, according to estimates from a study published Thursday by France’s Public Health that shows strong social and spatial inequalities.

“As of January 1, 2020, 685,122 people were identified in France with treated epilepsy, of whom 41% were hospitalized and 29% had chronic disease status,” the agency estimates based on health insurance data since -COVID-19 .

With an epilepsy treatment rate of 10.2 per 1,000 inhabitants – the same for men and women – France is at a level close to the US or UK, SpF points out. Another observation: the prevalence of epilepsy increases with age, and earlier in men (from 40 years of age) than in women, mainly due to concomitant diseases, in particular cardiovascular diseases.

“A marker of health inequalities”

This pathology is also a “marker of health inequalities.” Within the territory, the incidence of epilepsy is highly variable, with “the concentration of the highest rates in the North-East/South-West diagonal, in the northern departments, and in some overseas departments and regions. “

“These territorial inequalities are partly explained by the frequency of concomitant cardiovascular diseases and the socio-economic instability of these areas,” the SpF clarifies. Social inequality also matters.

Thus, the incidence of epilepsy “regularly increases with social disadvantage,” the agency notes, with “a 42% difference between the most disadvantaged quintile (10.1 cases per 1,000 inhabitants) compared with the least disadvantaged (7.1 cases per 1,000 inhabitants).” .”

Stigmatizing seizures

And, according to the study authors, the increase in the incidence of first-time epileptic seizures among socially disadvantaged people may be “partially explained by exposure to prenatal and early childhood toxicants, as well as environmental pollution.” Epilepsy, a chronic disease characterized by recurrent seizures, is both personally and socially disabling.

“Stigma, side effects of epilepsy treatment, and comorbidities can make it more difficult for people with illnesses to find or keep a job, or even lead to a drop in income,” SpF illustrates.

According to the World Health Organization, approximately 50 million people worldwide suffer from epilepsy, one of the most common neurological diseases.