Preventing tomorrow's sudden cardiac death in epilepsy today: what should physicians know about this?

approximately 1% of the population has epilepsy, the most common neurological disorder. moreover, people with epilepsy are more likely to die prematurely than those without epilepsy, and the most common epilepsy-related category of death is sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (sudep). information concerning risk factors for sudep is conflicting, but potential risk factors include: age, early onset of epilepsy, duration of epilepsy, uncontrolled seizures, seizure frequency, number of antiepileptic drugs and winter temperatures. additionally, the cause of sudep is still unknown; however, the most commonly suggested mechanisms are cardiac abnormalities during and between seizures. this review discusses the epidemiology, risk factors, etiology, and preventative measures in the management of sudep.