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

• Autor(a) principal: Scorza, Fulvio Alexandre [UNIFESP]
• Data de Publicação: 2008
• Outros Autores: Colugnati, Diego Basile [UNIFESP], Pansani, Aline Priscila [UNIFESP], Sonoda, Eliza Yumi de Freitas [UNIFESP], Arida, Ricardo Mario [UNIFESP], Cavalheiro, Esper Abrão [UNIFESP]
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Institucional da UNIFESP
• Texto Completo: http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S1807-59322008000300017; http://repositorio.unifesp.br/handle/11600/4176
• topic: Epilepsy; Heart; Sudden cardiac death

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.