Neurologist To NDTV On Shefali Jariwala Cause Of Death: "Glutathione May Result In Cardiac Issues, Epilepsy Can Lead To Sudden Death"

Following the news of actor-model Shefali Jariwala's untimely death, an old interview of her's has resurfaced in which she spoke about her long battle with epilepsy and how it affected her career.

According to sources, Shefali Jariwala had been undergoing special treatment for the past five to six years to maintain a youthful appearance. The medicines used in the process mainly included Vitamin C and Glutathione.

Dr Rahul Chawla, Consultant Neurologist, Institute of Brain and Spine has now shared his take and advice on the relationship between epilepsy and cardiac arrest and the use of Glutathione with its adverse effects.

He told NDTV, "Regarding IV Glutathione and IV detoxifying drips, they are not guideline recommended. They have no high-quality evidence showing any effect. They do have their harmful adverse effects including cardiac conduction abnormalities, arrhythmia, and hypotension. There have been multiple case reports where patients have died after taking those IV detoxifying drips and probably sudden collapse or sudden hypotension was the reason behind those deaths. However, we cannot correlate any sudden cardiac death of a person with a history of having glutathione or detox drips."

"One thing to be remembered is that any supplement that seems too good to be true and does not have RCT or Meta-analysis level of evidence, is not recommended by guidelines and has potential adverse effects, should not be used," concluded the Consultant Neurologist.

Glutathione is a drug often used for skin fairness and detoxification.

Doctors have stated that these medications do not have a direct impact on the heart, and are typically used for cosmetic enhancement only.

As of now, the actual cause of death will be known only after the forensic and post-mortem reports are out.

Shefali Jariwala had earlier opened up on her history with epilepsy which she had been suffering from since the age of 15. Medical professionals have said that SUDEP or Sudden Unexplained Death in a condition like Epilepsy is possible. It is rare, however can happen when it leads to fatal heart complications.

In an earlier interview with The Times of India, Shefali revealed that she was diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of 15.

"I had an epilepsy seizure at the age of 15. I remember at that time I was under tremendous pressure to do well in my studies. Stress and anxiety can lead to seizures. It's interrelated; you could get a seizure due to depression and vice versa," she said.

SUDEP happens at night when the patient is lying down, and may have a seizure- leading to a cardiac arrest. Patients who have epilepsy may have recurrent seizures and if not treated timely, such patients may die. It leads to instantaneous death and there are no chances of recovery.

Shefali Jariwala reportedly suffered a cardiac arrest at her Mumbai residence late Friday. Parag Tyagi rushed her to the hospital, where doctors declared her dead on arrival. As of now, a post-mortem is done and the results are awaited to confirm the cause behind her death.