Epilepsy Incidence Among Older U.S. Medicare Population Saw 10-Fold Regional Variation In 2019

While an estimated 2.87 million U.S. adults were living with active epilepsy in 2021, including more than half a million individuals 65 years and older, data from 2019 used in an analysis indicated the incidence of epilepsy in Medicare beneficiaries age 65 and older varied regionally more than 10-fold, from 141 per 100,000 to 1,476 per 100,000 population.

The median incidence was 397 per 100,000 population. The lowest incidence was seen in a region of western Iowa, and the highest incidence was seen in Colleton County, South Carolina. Researchers concluded there may be . . .