Assessment of Serum Triglyceride and Cholesterol Levels in Sudanese Epileptic Patients Receiving Antiepileptic Drugs

Abstract

Antiepileptic drugs such as Phenytoin (PHE), Valproic acid (VPA), and carbamazepine (CBZ) are disrupting Triglyceride and Cholesterol levels. Our study aimed to assess the level of serum Triglyceride and Cholesterol among Sudanese patients using antiepileptic drugs for more than one year at Khartoum State, Sudan. This analytical case control study was conducted from November 2019 to May 2020 in the National Center for Neurological Diseases and Sciences- Omdurman Teaching Hospital, Bahri Teaching Hospital, and Academic Educational Hospital at Khartoum State, Sudan. A total of 64 patients were enrolled in this study, 32 out of them were diagnosed as epileptic patients on antiepileptic drugs for more than one year (case group), and the other 32 patients (control group) were diagnosed with epilepsy but did not use antiepileptic drugs. Analysis of serum Triglyceride and Cholesterol was done by a fully automated machine (Mindray BS 240 clinical chemistry analyzer). The study showed that, the patients used Carbamazepine, Valproate and Phenytoin drugs, showed a significant decrease in mean serum concentration. of Triglyceride (86.1±38.8) when compare of main of control group (127.6±60.2) with p- value (0.002), and were significant increase in mean serum concentrations of Cholesterol (158.5±54.7) when compared of main of control group (150.5±75.2) with pvalue (0.044) from data suggest that antiepileptic drugs affect serum Triglycerides and Cholesterol level. There was an increase in the mean of Triglyceride among patients who used Carbamazepine when compared to
Valproic Acid and Phenytoin, and there was a decrease in the mean of Cholesterol among patients who used Phenytoin when compared to Valproic Acid and Carbamazepine therapy. From the present study, we concluded that serum Triglycerides and Total Cholesterol levels should be regularly monitored in patients using antiepileptic drugs for more than one year.