title: Gender specific association of decreased bone mineral density in patients with epilepsy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate whether epilepsy or certain antiepileptic drugs render patients prone to develop low bone mineral density (BMD) and osteoporosis risk.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-eight (27 males, 11 females) consecutive adult epileptic patients receiving antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) and 71 control individuals matched for race, gender, age and body mass index (BMI) were subjected to dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean lumbar spine and total hip BMD values were lower in the patients compared to control group (0.90±0.24 g/cm2 vs 1.04±0.14 g/cm2, p<0.001 and 0.92±0.14 g/cm2 vs 0.99±0.13 g/cm2, p=0.02, respectively). At the same skeletal sites, male patients had significantly reduced BMD compared to control males (0.90±0.21 g/cm2 vs 1.03±0.15 g/cm2, p=0.004 and 0.93±0.14 g/cm2 vs 1.02±0.13 g/cm2, p=0.009, respectively) while there was a trend but no significant differences in females. This BMD reduction was independent of AED type.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adult epileptic, predominantly male patients have lower BMD and could be screened with densitometry for early diagnosis and prevention of osteoporosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece. Electronic address: smarkoula@grads.uoi.gr.
authors.forename: Sofia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Markoula
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece. Electronic address: csioka@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Chrissa
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sioka
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece. Electronic address: texarnuc@yahoo.gr.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Exarchopoulos
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece. Electronic address: dimihat@otenet.gr.
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chatzistefanidis
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Physics, University Hospital of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece. Electronic address: jkalef@cc.uoi.gr.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kalef-Ezra
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece. Electronic address: afotopou@cc.uoi.gr.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fotopoulos
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece. Electronic address: thkyrits@uoi.gr.
authors.forename: Athanassios P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Kyritsis
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000328:Adult; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015519:Bone Density; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000209:etiology*; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants
keywords: Antiepileptic drugs; Bone mineral density; Epilepsy; X-ray absorptiometry