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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