Epileptics and suicide
The risk of suicide is three times higher among people with epilepsy, according to a report released online by the British journal “The Lancet Neurology.
In a study conducted in Denmark, Aarhus University Hospital, we observed that epilepsy increases the risk of suicide, and even more in the 6 months after diagnosis. Therefore in this group of patients is important to proper monitoring and alert relatives.
“For the study, the research team studied 21,169 cases of suicides in Denmark between 1981 and 1997, and 423,128 data related to gender, birth date or psychiatric history, among others.”
As recorded in the report, researchers found that 492 suicides (2.32 percent) were for patients who were diagnosed with epilepsy, which is a risk three times higher than other people.
After excluding those with psychiatric history, and adjusting for socio-economic factors, such as marital status and employment, annual income and demographic differences, the risk of suicide has doubled among epileptics.
Despite deciding that the risk of suicide increases with age of the person among the general population, researchers found that the equation is reversed among epileptics, that with age are less likely to commit suicide.
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Posted in Neurological Info | 
Tags: Aarhus University, Conditions and Diseases, Death, Denmark, Epilepsy, Health, Risk, Suicide