Risk highest for those born with patent foramen ovale, but risk decreases with closure surgery
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, Feb. 11, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Among simple congenital heart diseases (CHD), patent foramen ovale (PFO) is associated with a significantly higher risk for epilepsy, according to a study published in the February issue of CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics.
Lei Chen, M.D., Ph.D., from Sichuan University in Chengdu, China, and colleagues compared the risk for epilepsy in patients with different types of simple CHD. The analysis included 10,914 patients born (January 2008 to June 2022) with atrial septal defect (ASD), PFO, ventricular septal defect (VSD), and patent ductus arteriosus (PDA).
The researchers found that 108 individuals were diagnosed with epilepsy at an average follow-up of 2.19 years. Epilepsy incidence in patients with PFO, VSD, PDA, and ASD was 8.58, 4.85, 3.98, and 2.63 per 1,000 person-years, respectively. The risk for epilepsy was elevated in patients with PFO, VSD, and PDA (risk ratios [95 percent confidence intervals], 3.28 [2.00 to 5.43], 1.47 [0.79 to 2.68], and 1.46 [0.70 to 2.82], respectively) compared with patients with ASD. Patients with simple CHD who underwent CHD surgery had a lower risk for epilepsy than those who did not undergo surgery.
“These findings have implications for future research on the pathogenesis of PFO and incidence of central nervous system diseases, and perhaps importantly, for the prevention and treatment of epilepsy in patients with PFO,” the authors write.
Stay up to date on the latest in health — Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter!
Copyright © 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
