Premature mortality in people with epilepsy.

People with epilepsy are at increased risk of premature death, with a mortality rate that is 2–3 times higher than the general population (Cockerell et al, 1994). Premature death in people with epilepsy is associated with disease-linked factors (such as status epilepticus), sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) or underlying disease (for example, brain tumour) (National Sentinel Clinical Audit of Epilepsy-Related Death, 2002). However, people with epilepsy also have an increased risk of death from external causes such as suicide (Bell et al, 2009) and accidents resulting from seizures (van den Broek et al, 2004). National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2012) guidance on the epilepsies recommends that children, young people or adults with epilepsy, and their family and/or carers, should be provided with tailored information on the person’s relative risk of SUDEP.