Who does epilepsy affect and what does it cost?
One person in 20 will have an epileptic seizure at some time in their life. Epilepsy (the tendency to have recurrent seizures) is most often diagnosed in those under 20 years old and those over 60, although seizure frequency seems to decline with increasing age. It is estimated that 450,000 people are affected by epilepsy in the UK, with equal numbers of men and women. No recent figures are available for the costs associated with epilepsy and its treatment in the UK, but earlier surveys have shown that indirect costs (unemployment and raised death rates) account for about 70 per cent of the total.
