First-of-Its-Kind Map Reveals States With Most Epilepsy C...

By Hannah Millington

Health Reporter

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A map has revealed America’s “epilepsy belt,” highlighting how some states in particular see higher rates of the neurological condition among older adults.

The first-of-its kind nationwide study mapping epilepsy rates among older adults in the U.S., Houston Methodist Research Institute and Case Western Reserve University researchers reveals geographic patterns that could help to improve prevention and care for the condition of a local loevel.

Epilepsy affects the brain and causes seizures, also known as fits. While there is currently no cure, various medicines and treatment options can help to manage it. The condition affects around 3 million adults in the U.S with health care costs in the billions, according to the CDC.

The new study has now revealed epilepsy cases among adults aged 65 and older were significantly higher in parts of the South—including Louisiana, Mississippi, East Texas and central Oklahoma—compared to other regions.

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Using advanced geospatial machine learning algorithms, the team analyzed data from 4.8 million Medicare beneficiaries between 2016 and 2019.

“Until now, we didn’t have a national picture of where epilepsy affects older adults the most,” said paper author Weichuan Dong, of Houston and Case Western Reserve in a statement.

“By applying advanced geospatial mapping to Medicare data, we revealed striking clusters of high epilepsy rates across parts of the South—what we call the ‘epilepsy belt.’ Understanding where the burden lies is the first step toward uncovering why and helping communities reduce risk.”

The most influential factors linked to higher epilepsy incidence included sleep of less than seven hours per night, extreme heat, lack of physical activity, lack of health insurance among younger adults (which may lead to delayed diagnosis) and limited access to a household vehicle, the study found.

Obesity prevalence and availability of primary care physicians was another strong predictor.

These conditions, often shaped by local environmental and social factors such as socioeconomic status, were more prevalent in regions with the highest epilepsy rates, according to the team.

“Our findings highlight the spatial heterogeneity of epilepsy burden in the U.S. Medicare population and underscore the importance of contextual social and environmental determinants of health factors such as sleep, mobility and infrastructure in shaping disease patterns,” the study authors wrote in the paper.

They emphasized this underscores the importance of addressing sleep health, neighborhood deprivation and transportation barriers in efforts to prevent epilepsy or mitigate its impact and using these insights to inform more targeted public health strategies and resource allocation in high-burden regions.

“This is the first study documenting such a strong association between extreme heat and incident epilepsy in older adults across the U.S., highlighting the importance of climate change in emergency preparedness, especially given the graying of the population,” said study author and Case Western Reserve population and quantitative health sciences professor Siran Koroukian.

Newsweek has reached out to the researchers for additional comment.

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Reference

Dong, W., Cabulong, A., Vu, L., Al-Kindi, S. G., Warner, D. F., Schiltz, N. K., Fein, H. L., Ghearing, G. R., Sajatovic, M., & Koroukian, S. M. (2025). Incidence and Risk Factors of Epilepsy Among Older Adults in the US Medicare Population. JAMA Neurology. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaneurol.2025.4347

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