A new study is suggesting that people who suffer from epilepsy are more likely to die prematurely when compared to those who do not suffer from the condition. That risk goes even higher if the patient also suffers from a mental disorder. The results of this study were published in The Lancet.

The study was conducted by researchers at the University of Oxford and University College London in the UK. For the study, scientists analyzed information collected from 69,995 epileptic patients. What they did was check for the causes of the epilepsy and the risk factors that caused premature deaths. They also looked into epileptics who had committed suicide as well as those who suffered from assaults. What the researchers found was that the epileptics were 11 times more likely to die a premature death than those who did not have the condition.

“Our results have significant public health implications, as around 70 million people worldwide have epilepsy, and they emphasize that carefully assessing and treating psychiatric disorders as part of standard checks in persons with epilepsy could help reduce the risk of premature death in these patients,” Seena Fazel of the University of Oxford says. “Our study also highlights the importance of suicide and non-vehicle accidents as major preventable causes of death in people with epilepsy.”

What this means is that in the study’s data sample, epileptics were more likely to die early than those without epilepsy if the patients had a history of mental illness. Epilepsy is a neurological condition that causes patients to experience seizures that can be fatal. Numerous drugs are currently used to treat epilepsy. One of those drugs in Topamax. Topamax is used to prevent seizures, but it is dangerous for women who are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant to use. Topamax has been linked to an increased risk of suicide and suicidal thoughts as well as birth defects in women whose babies are exposed to the drug in-utero. Some of those birth defects linked to Topamax use during pregnancy include cleft lips, cleft palates, genital defects and other birth malformations.

If your baby was born with birth defects after in-utero exposure to Topamax, contact attorney Greg Jones today for a free consultation. I am experienced at fighting Topamax lawsuits and may be able to help you recover money for your child’s injuries.