1Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Chintpurni Medical College and Hospital, Bungal, Pathankot, Punjab, India
2Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Government Medical College, Amritsar, Punjab, India
*Email id: drartigupta80@gmail.com
Online published on 7 December, 2013.
Antiepileptic drug (AED) therapy is the main stay of treatment for most patients with epilepsy. These may cause various side effects like metabolic, biochemical and radiological abnormalities. The severity of bone and biochemical abnormalities is thought to correlate with the duration of AED exposure and the number of AEDs used.
To study the effect of AEDs on serum calcium levels in the epileptic patients and to compare any relationship of biochemical change with duration of therapy.
A case–control prospective study.
A total of 100 subjects presenting with epilepsy in the out-patient Department of Neurology of Guru Nanak Dev Hospital, attached to Government Medical College, Amritsar, was selected. Fifty epileptic subjects taking AEDs for more than 6 months were considered as study group. These were again divided into two groups depending upon duration of treatment with AEDs taken.
AEDs cause significant fall in serum calcium levels in epileptic patients and this fall is related to the duration of therapy.
Epilepsy, seizures, antiepileptic drugs, serum calcium
