Frailty, cardiovascular disease, and vascular atherosclerosis in older adults with epilepsy

Approximately 1 in 10 people will have at least 1 epileptic seizure in their lifetime. Epilepsy often occurs in younger individuals but the greater number of people with epilepsy (PWE), both new-onset and long-standing, is among those over 60 years of age. There is a strong relationship between epilepsy and cardiovascular disease (CVD), especially among older adults. The reasons, however, why PWE suffer from such a high degree of CVD are likely complex and remain poorly understood. The objective of our study is to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the complex relationship between CVD and epilepsy. We will chart how measures of CVD evolve in PWE over time, which factors explain whether CVD progresses quickly or slowly, as well as how a person’s sex and degree of physical frailty may influence this progression.