Cardiovascular Risk Reduction in Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a disabling and lethal neurological disease which affect 3.47 million Americans. Significant health care disparities exist in people with epilepsy (PWE). Hypertension and hyperlipidemia are highly prevalent and often go undertreated, and cardiovascular (CV) mortality is higher in people with epilepsy (PWE) than the general population. Preliminary data from our group shows that PWE have higher ACC-ASCVD risk scores than an age matched NHANES cohort without epilepsy. Preliminary data also demonstrate mortality rates in PWE due to hypertension, stroke, and diabetes are rising in the US, counter to the US general population. This proposal seeks to test the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a new care model for the underserved PWE in a public health setting. In this new model, neurologists guided by standardized treatment algorithms (ACC-ASCVD estimator+) propose and initiate pharmacological interventions for hypertension and hyperlipidemia.