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TUESDAY, Dec. 5, 2023 (HealthDay Information) — Folks with epilepsy undergo faster declines in pondering than individuals with out the mind dysfunction, notably if additionally they have danger components like hypertension or diabetes, a brand new examine finds.
The distinction was vital: Over the course of the 14-year examine, these with epilepsy skilled a 65% to 70% sooner decline in reminiscence and pondering expertise.
On high of that, having danger components for coronary heart illness pushed that share 20% increased.
“Whereas epilepsy itself is related to [mild cognitive impairment] and dementia, this danger is considerably magnified in those that even have hypertension, diabetes or different cardiovascular danger components,” mentioned lead researcher Dr. Ifrah Zawar, an assistant professor of neurology on the College of Virginia in Charlottesville.
Researchers mentioned their examine is exclusive as a result of it tracked the transition to gentle cognitive impairment and dementia in additional than 13,700 individuals who began the examine with wholesome brains.
The individuals had been recruited at 39 Alzheimer’s illness facilities throughout the USA between September 2005 and December 2021. Fewer than 1% had epilepsy, researchers mentioned.
The speed of decline from gentle cognitive impairment to dementia was the identical in sufferers with or with out epilepsy. The researchers speculate that’s in all probability as a result of coronary heart danger components play a a lot greater function than epilepsy within the later levels of dementia.
The findings had been offered Friday on the American Epilepsy Society annual assembly in Orlando, Fla. Such analysis must be thought of preliminary till revealed in a peer-reviewed journal.
“You will need to determine epilepsy promptly and deal with it aggressively, to assist gradual or forestall this decline in older adults who’re cognitively wholesome,” Zawar mentioned in a gathering information launch. “As well as, early screening and focused interventions in the direction of modifiable cardiovascular danger components may assist delay the onset of dementia.”
Extra data
The Alzheimer’s Society has extra about seizures and dementia.
SOURCE: American Epilepsy Society, information launch, Dec. 1, 2023
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