17 January 2020 - Five deaths in people with epilepsy following a brand switch may be part of an under-represented level of sudden deaths in people with the condition, a study suggests.

Co-author of the study, published today in the New Zealand Medical Journal, Peter Bergin said: "There may be 30 or even more people dying each year in New Zealand as a result of sudden unexpected deaths in epilepsy."

So the five recent deaths may not be outliers, but Dr Bergin said he did not yet know whether medication brand changes put people at greater risk of dying.

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