Seizure- or Epilepsy-Related Emergency Department Visits Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic - United States, 2019-2021.

Seizures, transient signs or symptoms caused by abnormal surges of electrical activity in the brain, can result from epilepsy, a neurologic disorder characterized by abnormal electrical brain activity causing recurrent, unprovoked seizures, or from other inciting causes, such as high fever or substance abuse (1). Seizures generally account for approximately 1% of all emergency department (ED) visits (2,3). Persons of any age can experience seizures, and outcomes might range from no complications for those with a single seizure to increased risk for injury, comorbidity, impaired quality of life, and early mortality for those with epilepsy (4).

Barriers to and Disparities in Access to Health Care Among Adults Aged ≥18 Years with Epilepsy - United States, 2015 and 2017.

Approximately 3 million U.S. adults have active epilepsy (i.

Drivers of US health care spending for persons with seizures and/or epilepsies, 2010-2018.

Objective: This study was undertaken to characterize spending for persons classified with seizure or epilepsy and to determine whether spending has increased over time.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we pooled data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) household component files for 2010-2018. We matched cases to controls on age and sex of a population-based sample of MEPS respondents (community-dwelling persons of all ages) with records associated with a medical event (e.

When and why US primary care providers do and do not refer their patients with new-onset seizures or existing epilepsy or seizure disorders to neurologists-2018 DocStyles.

Monitoring primary care providers' (PCP) attitudes and experiences with referrals of their patients with new-onset seizures or existing epilepsy/seizure disorders may help evaluate whether interventions to coordinate PCP and neurology care reduce treatment gaps and improve patient outcomes. To examine PCPs' attitudes toward, and experiences with, referral to specialty care of their patients with new-onset seizures or existing epilepsy/seizure disorders, we used cross-sectional 2018 DocStyles data to examine study outcomes. We selected a subsample of respondents who had a practice with at least 1% of patients with an epilepsy/seizure disorder and who answered questions about this disorder.

In 2016, Medicaid and Medicare paid about 65% of all inpatient hospitalization costs for all-age persons hospitalized with epilepsy as the principal diagnosis.

The purpose of this study was to examine both the distribution of payers for inpatient hospitalizations (all-ages) by principal diagnosis status (epilepsy versus nonepilepsy) and selected organizational- and community-level factors associated with hospitalizations using the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's (AHRQ) Healthcare Utilization Project 2016 National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database. We compared cases with epilepsy (any ICD-10CM diagnostic code beginning with "G40") as a principal diagnosis ("epilepsy discharges") versus cases without epilepsy as the principal diagnosis ("nonepilepsy discharges"). Accounting for the complex survey design, we examined how the principal payer source, median income for Zip Code, admission type, hospital location, teaching status, and hospital region varied by principal diagnosis status.

Knowledge of and familiarity with epilepsy in U.S. adults: Results from the 2017 ConsumerStyles Online Panel Survey.

Examining and improving knowledge and attitudes about epilepsy has been a public health priority because of stigma around the disorder. This study had three goals: (1) to update estimates describing U.S.

Prevalence and Trends in Cigarette Smoking Among Adults with Epilepsy - United States, 2010-2017.

Cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States (1). Although the percentage of all U.S.

Frequent Mental Distress Among Adults, by Disability Status, Disability Type, and Selected Characteristics - United States, 2018.

Frequent mental distress, defined as 14 or more self-reported mentally unhealthy days in the past 30 days,* is associated with adverse health behaviors, increased use of health services, mental disorders (e.g., diagnosis of major depressive disorder), chronic diseases, and functional limitations (1).

CDC-supported epilepsy surveillance and epidemiologic studies: A review of progress since 1994.

To report progress, to identify gaps, and to plan epilepsy surveillance and research activities more effectively, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Epilepsy Program has summarized findings from selected CDC-supported surveillance and epidemiologic studies about epilepsy from 1994 through 2019. We identified publications supported by CDC funding and publications conducted by the CDC Epilepsy Program alone or with partners. We included only epilepsy surveillance and epidemiologic studies focusing on epilepsy burden, epilepsy-related outcomes, and healthcare utilization.

National declines in the percentages of uninsured among adults aged 18-64 years with active epilepsy, 2010 and 2013 to 2015 and 2017-U.S. National Health Interview Survey.

Epilepsy is more common among children and adults living in households at lowest incomes. Like those living with any complex chronic condition, people with epilepsy need quality healthcare to improve their health and social outcomes. The purpose of this study was to use the latest national data to provide updated estimates of the percentages of adults aged 18-64 years with active epilepsy who were uninsured in 2010, 2013, 2015, and 2017 and to examine changes in health insurance coverage during these years.

Quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) associated with limitations in activities of daily living (ADL) in a large longitudinal sample of the U.S. community-dwelling older population.

Background: The staging method for activities of daily living (ADLs) limitations developed by Stineman and colleagues that classifies people into five stages can reflect severity of activity limitations.

Objective: To assess the impact of stages of limitations in ADLs on quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and the relative severity of each ADL limitation for a large, nationally-representative sample of the U.S.

Prevalence, risk factors, and burden of disease for falls and balance or walking problems among older adults in the U.S.

This study assesses the prevalence of falls, factors predicting future falls, and health impacts of falls and balance or walking problems for U.S. older adults.

Serious psychological distress among adults with active epilepsy in all racial/ethnic groups and among adults with inactive epilepsy in non-Hispanic whites is significantly higher than among adults without epilepsy-U.S. National Health Interview Survey, 2010, 2013, 2015, and 2017.

Serious psychological distress (SPD) includes mental health problems severe enough to cause moderate-to-serious impairment in daily activities and to require treatment. Serious psychological distress is based on answers to six survey questions from the Kessler-6 scale used internationally in public health surveillance systems to assess recent feelings of sadness, restlessness, hopelessness, nervousness, worthlessness, and the sense that everything is an effort. We combined nationally representative samples in the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) from 2010 (N = 27,157), 2013 (N = 34,557), 2015 (N = 33,672), and 2017 (N = 26,742).

Comparing the Performance of 2 Health Utility Measures in the Medicare Health Outcome Survey (HOS).

Background: The Medicare Health Outcomes Survey (HOS), a nationwide annual survey of Medicare beneficiaries, includes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's HRQOL-4 questionnaire and Veterans RAND 12-item Health Survey (VR-12). This study compared EQ-5D scores derived from the HRQOL-4 (dEQ-5D) to SF-6D scores derived from VR-12.

Methods: Data were from Medicare HOS Cohort 15 (2012 baseline; 2014 follow-up).

Close to 1 million US adults aged 55 years or older have active epilepsy-National Health Interview Survey, 2010, 2013, and 2015.

Epilepsy is common in older adults because known risk factors-such as traumatic brain injury, stroke, cerebrovascular disease, neurodegenerative disorders, and neoplasms-increase with age. This study uses the most recent data from the 2010, 2013, and 2015 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) to provide updated national estimates of epilepsy prevalence among US adults aged 55 years or older to help guide public health action. We used the following validated surveillance case definition for active epilepsy: adults with self-reported doctor-diagnosed epilepsy or seizure disorder who reported either currently taking medications to treat their epilepsy or seizure disorder or at least one seizure during the past 12 months.

Quality-adjusted Life Years (QALY) for 15 Chronic Conditions and Combinations of Conditions Among US Adults Aged 65 and Older.

Background: Although the life expectancy for the US population has increased, a high proportion of this population has lived with ≥1 chronic conditions. We have quantified the burden of disease associated with 15 chronic conditions and combinations of conditions by estimating quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) for older US adults.

Research Design: Data were from the Medicare Health Outcomes Survey Cohort 15 (baseline survey in 2012, follow-up survey 2014, with mortality follow-up through January 31, 2015).

Active Epilepsy and Seizure Control in Adults - United States, 2013 and 2015.

Approximately 3 million American adults reported active epilepsy* in 2015 (1). Active epilepsy, especially when seizures are uncontrolled, poses substantial burdens because of somatic, neurologic, and mental health comorbidity; cognitive and physical dysfunction; side effects of antiseizure medications; higher injury and mortality rates; poorer quality of life; and increased financial cost (2). Thus, prompt diagnosis and seizure control (i.

Associations of Smoking, Physical Inactivity, Heavy Drinking, and Obesity with Quality-Adjusted Life Expectancy among US Adults with Depression.

Objectives: To examine associations between four health behaviors (smoking, physical inactivity, heavy alcohol drinking, and obesity) and three health indices (health-related quality of life, life expectancy, and quality-adjusted life expectancy (QALE)) among US adults with depression.

Methods: Data were obtained from the 2006, 2008, and 2010 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data. The EuroQol five-dimensional questionnaire (EQ-5D) health preference scores were estimated on the basis of extrapolations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's healthy days measures.

People with epilepsy are diagnosed most often with unspecified epilepsy, followed by focal epilepsy, generalized convulsive epilepsy, and generalized nonconvulsive epilepsy-US MarketScan data, 2010-2015.

The distribution of epilepsy types varies by age, etiology, provider diagnostic capabilities, and assessment criteria. No recent US study has examined the distribution of epilepsy types in a large, population-based sample of people with epilepsy. We used MarketScan data from January 1, 2010 through September 30, 2015, to estimate the proportion of epilepsy types among all (N=370,570) individuals diagnosed with epilepsy.

National and State Estimates of the Numbers of Adults and Children with Active Epilepsy - United States, 2015.

Epilepsy, a brain disorder leading to recurring seizures, has garnered increased public health focus because persons with epilepsy experience pronounced and persistent health and socioeconomic disparities despite treatment advances, public awareness programs, and expanded rights for persons with disabilities (1,2). For almost all states, epilepsy prevalence estimates do not exist. CDC used national data sources including the 2015 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) for adults (aged ≥18 years), the 2011-2012 National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH), and the 2015 Current Population Survey data, describing 2014 income levels, to estimate prevalent cases of active epilepsy, overall and by state, to provide information for state public health planning.

Sociodemographic Characteristics and Health Outcomes Among Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual U.S. Adults Using Healthy People 2020 Leading Health Indicators.

Purpose: This study aimed to characterize the sociodemographic characteristics of sexual minority (i.e., gay, lesbian, bisexual) adults and compare sexual minority and heterosexual populations on nine Healthy People 2020 leading health indicators (LHIs).

Adults with an epilepsy history fare significantly worse on positive mental and physical health than adults with other common chronic conditions-Estimates from the 2010 National Health Interview Survey and Patient Reported Outcome Measurement System (PROMIS) Global Health Scale.

Healthy People 2020, a national health promotion initiative, calls for increasing the proportion of U.S. adults who self-report good or better health.

Epilepsy Among Iraq and Afghanistan War Veterans - United States, 2002-2015.

The age-adjusted prevalence of seizure disorder in United States veterans deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts (IAV) is 6.1 per 1,000 persons (1), compared with 7.1 to 10 per 1,000 persons in the general population (2,3).