[Comment] Advances in understanding sudden unexpected death in people with drug-resistant epilepsy

Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is a leading cause of premature death, affecting 1·00–1·14 per 1000 people with epilepsy annually.1 Identifying those at high risk or low risk of SUDEP is necessary for counselling and targeted intervention. Population-based case–control studies have identified risk factors, such as poorly controlled tonic–clonic seizures, nocturnal seizures, medication non-adherence, and solitary living, and how they interact to inform risk stratification.2,3 However, medical record data do not provide the detailed phenotypic and mechanistic insights needed to refine risk prediction and identify intervention targets.