Reinterpretation of the haematological effects of anticonvulsant treatment.
Blood-counts and folate assays were performed on samples from 102 adults at a residential institution for severe mental impairment. 96 of these patients were receiving anticonvulsant therapy and 6 were not. Only 1 subject had a macrocytic blood-picture, and 5 subjects had hypochromic anaemia. No features of incipient metaloblastic haemopoiesis were identified in the remaining samples. However, serum-folate measured by two assay methods was subnormal in 83% of the samples; red-cell folate was subnormal in 40%. It is concluded that the development of macrocytic anaemia in subjects on long-term anticonvulsants therapy is probably not related to the biochemical process which causes their low assayable folate but reflects inadequate nutrition.
D000328:Adult; D000747:Anemia, Hypochromic / Q000209:etiology*; D000748:Anemia, Macrocytic / Q000209:etiology*; D000749:Anemia, Megaloblastic / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000209:etiology*; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000633:toxicity*; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000097:blood; D005494:Folic Acid Deficiency / Q000097:blood* / Q000139:chemically induced; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D000927:Anticonvulsants; D005492:Folic Acid