About Epilepsy
- Epilepsy is as common as breast cancer and claims more lives each year.
- Every 4 minutes a person is diagnosed with Epilepsy.
- 200,000 new cases of Epilepsy are diagnosed every year.
- Every year 60,000 people lose their lives to Epilepsy.
- Approximately 3 million Americans and 50 million people worldwide currently live with Epilepsy.
- More than 40% of patients continue to have seizures despite available treatments and many of those who obtain seizure control have side effects that are debilitating.
- 60% of children with Epilepsy face a life of severe cognitive deficits and brain damage leading to a lifetime of illness, disability, and dependency. Sudden Unexplained Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) accounts for 34% of all sudden deaths in children.
- Epilepsy can develop at any age, but the highest incidence rates are reported in children and in the aging population as a result of stroke, brain tumor, and Alzheimer’s disease. Recurring seizures are a significant burden for people living with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation, and Traumatic Brain Injury.
- Epilepsy cost the United States approximately $15.5 billion each year. The indirect costs associated with uncontrolled seizures are seven times higher than that of the average for all chronic diseases.
- Epilepsy research is significantly underfunded from three major sources: the pharmaceutical industry, government, and private foundations. Per researcher, funding for Epilepsy lags average funding for all diseases by nearly 50%.
- For many soldiers suffering Traumatic Brain Injury on the battlefield, Epilepsy will be a long-term consequence. 53% of Vietnam War veterans with penetrating head injury developed Epilepsy.
