| Olivia Maehara,1 Minami Wada,1,2 Rhiannon Wong,1,2 Hannah Kwak,1 Andrew Mettias,1,2 Haley Yamamoto,3 Kristal Xie,3 Tyrone Sumibcay,3 Darren DuGas,1 Enrique Carrazana,3 Kore Liow1,3 |
1 Comprehensive Epilepsy Center and Video-EEG Epilepsy Monitoring Unit & Epilepsy Research Unit, Hawaiʻi Pacific Neuroscience, Honolulu, HI
2 University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI
3 John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaiʻi, Honolulu, HI
Obesity and elevated BMI are emerging health concerns in patients with epilepsy (PWE), with potential effects on seizure control and treatment response. However, their relationship to seizure features and comorbidities is not well understood. This study explored associations between BMI, seizure characteristics, and comorbidity burden in a Hawaiʻi-based PWE population.
A retrospective chart review was conducted on 500 randomly selected PWE seen at Hawaiʻi Pacific Neuroscience from January 2019 to July 2020. Patients were categorized by self-identified race/ethnicity. Associations between BMI and seizure type, control, and comorbidities were assessed using chi-square and one-way ANOVA.
Elevated BMI was significantly associated with drug-resistant epilepsy (p < 0.05), but not with seizure type or hospitalization. Elevated BMI was linked to higher rates of psychiatric comorbidities, including depression, anxiety, PTSD, and sleep disorders (p < 0.05), as well as neurological conditions like migraines and dementia (p < 0.05).
These findings suggest that elevated BMI in PWE is associated with increased disease severity and comorbidity burden. Integrated care addressing both neurologic and metabolic health may improve outcomes.
