Theme 3: Mortality, risk and morbidity

People living with epilepsy are up to three times more likely to die prematurely than those without it, and every day 21 people die from epilepsy-related deaths. Many of these deaths are potentially preventable, but to prevent them we need to better understand the causes and be able to identify those who are at risk.

The reasons why the mortality of people with epilepsy is significantly increased, even years after seizure onset, are not fully known.  Likewise, the mechanisms by which sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) occurs are poorly understood.

We will drive forward work that investigates the causes of SUDEP and other epilepsy related deaths by identifying risk factors and developing interventions to overcome them. This programme of work seeks to substantially reduce the mortality and morbidity of epilepsy, and will enable risks associated with the condition to be more effectively managed.