Skipping Seizure Drugs Raises Death Rates

Taking anti-seizure medicine may reduce death rates in epileptics. In a study, epileptics who didn’t take their medicine regularly were three times more likely to die. The study was based on Medicaid records of almost 34,000 people. They were considered to be taking their medicine if records showed they had it on hand 80% of the time. Those who skipped their medicine also had 86% more hospital stays. They had 50% more visits to the emergency room. And they had more car accidents and broken bones. HealthDay and Reuters news services wrote about the study June 18. It was in the journal Neurology.