Lifestyle factors, psychiatric and neurologic comorbidities, and drug use associated with incident seizures among adult patients with depression: a population-based nested case–control study

Abstract To investigate risk factors for incident seizures among adult patients with depression. We conducted a nested case–control analysis in adult patients with newly diagnosed depression, using data from the U.K.-based Clinical Practice Research Datalink. Among cases with incident seizures and matched controls, we estimated odds ratios (ORs) with 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) of potential risk factors for seizures as reported from data of the general population: underweight (body mass index <18.5 kg/m2), smoking, alcoholism, drug abuse, psychiatric or neurologic comorbidities, and concomitant use of drugs. Of 186,540 patients with depression, 1489 developed a seizure during follow-up. Being underweight (OR 1.67 [95 % CI 1.23–2.26]), a current smoker (OR 1.45 [95 % CI 1.26–1.67]), having alcoholism (OR 2.98 [95 % CI 2.56–3.47]), and drug abuse (OR 2.51 [95 % CI 1.94–3.24]), were associated with increased risks of seizures compared to normal weight, non-smoking, no alcoholism, and no drug abuse, respectively. Previous stroke/transient ischemic attack (OR 6.07 [95 % CI 4.71–7.83]) or intracerebral bleeding (OR 8.19 [95 % CI 4.80–13.96]), and comorbid dementia (OR 6.83 [95 % CI 4.81–9.69]), were strongly associated with seizures. Current use of cephalosporins (OR 2.47 [95 % CI 1.61–3.78]) and antiarrhythmics (OR 1.59 [95 % CI 1.26–2.01]) was associated with an increased risk of seizures compared to non-use. Among adult pat...
Source: European Journal of Epidemiology - Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research