AEDs & Bone Mass Loss
Although evidence suggests that much bone pathology induced by the use of anti-seizure medications (AEDs) is either preventable or can be effectively treated with vitamin D and calcium, neurologists do not agree about the impact of AEDs on bones. The Archives of Neurology recently reported the results of a survey which was designed to assess the practice habits of neurologists in the USA regarding skeletal disorders in their patients taking AEDs.
The self-administered mail-in survey polled 404 certified or board eligible paediatric and 624 adult neurologists from the medical, neurological and endochrinological departments at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, at Sinai Hospital (Baltimore, Maryland), and at University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania). Regarding their patients taking AEDs, it revealed that: - 41% of paediatric and 28% of the adult neurologists routinely evaluate for bone or mineral disease;
- 40% of paediatric and 37% of adult neurologists prescribed either calcium or vitamin D when bone disease was detected by diagnostic testing;
- 54% of paediatric and 57% of adult neurologist referred patients to specialists;
- only 9% of paediatric and 7% of adult neurologists prescribed calcium or vitamin D prophylacticly for persons taking AEDs.
Source
Archives of Neurology. 2001, Vol 58#9, pp 1369-1374. "Practice Patterns of Neurologists Regarding Bone and Mineral Effects of Antiepileptic Drug Therapy"
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