Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Departments of Pharmacology, Sri Manakula Vinayagar Medical College and Hospital, Puducherry, India

2 Undergraduate Student, Sri Manakula Vinayagar Medical College and Hospital, Puducherry, India

Abstract

Objective: The objective of the study was to evaluate and compare the effect of 
conventional and newer antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) on thyroid hormone levels in adult 
epileptic patients.
Methods: A hospital‑based, analytical cross‑sectional study was conducted among 
the adult epileptic patients receiving conventional AEDs (Group 2) or newer 
AEDs (Group 3) for more than 6 months. Serum thyroid hormone levels including free 
triiodothyronine (fT3
), free thyroxine (fT4
), and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) were 
analyzed and the hormonal status was compared with healthy control subjects (Group1).
Findings: Sodium valproate and phenytoin were commonly used conventional 
AEDs; levetiracetam and topiramate were common among the newer drugs. There 
was a statistically significant decrease in serum fT4 and increase in serum TSH 
levels (P < 0.0001) in patients on long‑term therapy with conventional antiepileptic 
agents than in the control group. No significant change in thyroid hormone levels (fT3

fT4, and TSH; P = 0.68, 0.37, and 0.90, respectively) was observed with newer 
antiepileptics‑treated patients when compared to control group. One‑way analysis of 
variance followed by post hoc Dunnett’s test was performed using SPSS version 17.0 
software package.
Conclusion: The present study showed that conventional AEDs have significant 
alteration in the thyroid hormone levels than the newer antiepileptics in adult epileptic 
patients.

Keywords

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