Epilepsy Mortality: The Unseen and Unknown

In this issue of Neurology ®, Klovegard et al.1 examine epilepsy mortality using a wide-angle lens, looking beyond sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) to other direct and indirect causes of epilepsy-related deaths. They found that most deaths in children and adults <50 years old were directly or indirectly related to epilepsy. Thus, epilepsy may be the leading cause of lost potential years of life among neurologic disorders. This population-based study of all Danish children and young adults provides critical insights and raises concerns about the limits of our knowledge.