Media Advisory
Monday July 22, 2024
NIH-funded study highlights importance of research on health disparities.
What
Self-reported sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals (individuals who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, queer, transgender, nonbinary, or gender diverse) are twice as likely to report active epilepsy as non-SGM individuals, according to an analysis of data from the National Health Information Survey conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). “Active epilepsy” means that a person has been diagnosed with epilepsy and has had more than one seizure in the past year or is currently taking antiseizure medication.
This study suggests that epilepsy may add to the growing number of neurological health disparities experienced by people from sexual minorities and other minority groups. The potential causes of this increased prevalence are unknown.
The authors note the study’s limitations. The survey relies on self-reporting of SGM status and epilepsy, which some may have been reluctant to report, even when responding anonymously. The survey data analyzed in this study are from 2022, the first year in which questions about current gender identity, sexual orientation, and sex assigned at birth were included.
These findings, along with the study’s limitations, underscore the importance of collecting information on SGM status and the need for continued research into health disparities observed in this population. The NIH’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) Office of Global Health and Health Disparities supports rigorous research to better understand and reduce these types of disparities to reduce the burden of neurological disease for all.
This study was supported by the NINDS Intramural Research Program and the National Institute on Aging of the NIH (AG063899).
WHO
Richard Benson, MD Ph.D., Director, Office of Global Health and Health Disparities, NINDS
Article
Johnson, EL et al., “Prevalence of Epilepsy Among Sexual and Gender Minorities.” JAMA Neurology. July 22, 2024
NINDS((https://www.ninds.nih.gov) is the nation’s largest funder of brain and nervous system research. NINDS’s mission is to seek fundamental knowledge about the brain and nervous system and to use this knowledge to reduce the burden of neurological disease.
About the National Institutes of Health (NIH):NIH, the nation’s health research agency, is comprised of 27 institutes and centers and is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency that conducts and supports basic, clinical, and translational medical research and studies the causes, treatments, and cures for common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.
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