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Half of UK patients taking drugs for epilepsy continue to have seizures
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     Almost half of patients taking drugs for epilepsy continue to have seizures, a survey of patients in the United Kingdom has shown.

    Better medical care might improve the lives of people with epilepsy by achieving better seizure control, say the authors of the study in the journal Seizure, published online ahead of print (www.harcourt-international.com/journals/seiz/ ).

    The study, which looked at frequency patterns of seizure among users of epilepsy drugs, was based on the experiences梤eported in a questionnaire梠f a sample of 1652 patients from across the United Kingdom. The participants were drawn from a postal questionnaire, distributed by GPs, of 3455 unselected patients on anti-epileptic drugs. Almost one in three patients (32%) had epilepsy that the researchers then classified as severe; in the rest the condition was classified as mild.

    Patients were taking between one and seven drugs (a mean of 1.4). Among those taking three drugs, there were 56 different combinations, which included 16 different drugs.

    "We found a clear increase in the severity of adverse effects with increasing number of agents used. This underlines the desirability of monotherapy, particularly as adverse effects are a major component in the diminishment of quality of life in people with epilepsy," say the authors, from the Institute of Neurology, London.

    The study also shows that epilepsy affects the work, family, and social life of patients. For one in three young people with mild or severe forms of epilepsy, the main effect was on schooling and education, closely followed by a psychological impact, and a negative effect on social life.

    For adults with mild epilepsy, the main impact was a driving ban, followed by the effects of the condition on work and social life. For most adults with severe epilepsy, the main impact was on work.

    "More effective medical and surgical treatments for epilepsy have led to increasing interest in the condition and to a drive to improve the quality of services for people with epilepsy. Our large population-based survey shows that almost half of all people currently on anti-epileptic drugs continue to have seizures, with continued impact on work, family and social life. Better medical care might improve the lives of people with epilepsy by achieving better seizure control through rational use of drugs and surgery," the authors wrote.

    Preliminary research presented to the American Epilepsy Society抯 annual meeting in December (www.aesnet.org) suggests that life expectancy is reduced in people with epilepsy.

    "People with symptomatic epilepsy continue to experience a decreased life expectancy even after 20 years from diagnosis," say the authors, from London抯 Institute of Neurology and the Institute of Public Health, Cambridge.(Abergavenny Roger Dobson)