Calcium Homeostasis Abnormalities in Patients Taking Chronic Anticonvulsants Therapy – A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Introduction: Epilepsy is a well-known disease entity that is responsible for a significant amount of morbidity. The purpose of this research is to determine the frequency of calcium homeostasis abnormalities in patients who are taking chronic anticonvulsant medication and to analyze the levels of Vitamin D in the serum of patients who are taking chronic anticonvulsant medication. Materials and Methods: The SVRRGGH general medicine department in Tirupati conducted this cross-sectional single-centered prevalence study. The study included outpatients, inpatients, and acute medical care (AMC) patients. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, the study randomly selected 100 seizure disorder patients from the SVRRGH in Tirupati. Epilepsy patients who participated in the study were asked about medication, compliance, and seizure control. Anticonvulsant usage and duration were recorded. Serum calcium, Vitamin D, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and parathormone were measured. Hypoalbuminemia caused calcium adjustments. Liver and renal function tests ruled out other major causes of hypovitaminosis D. Results: In this study, 36% were hypocalcemic and 64% were normocalcemic. There was a significant association between a number of drugs, duration of up to 12 months, normal Vitamin D levels, and good seizure levels with hypocalcemia ( P < 0.001). Around 25% had high ALP levels and 75% had normal ALP levels. High ALP levels were significantly associated with hypocalcemia ( P < 0.001). Conclusion: Chronic anticonvulsant therapy is associated with significant hypocalcemia and hypovitaminemia D, and our findings suggest that calcium and Vitamin D supplementation might be beneficial for patients experiencing these conditions.