title: [The prevalence of obesity and metabolic syndrome in paediatric patients with epilepsy treated in monotherapy with valproic acid].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Valproic acid (VPA) is a useful antiepileptic drug for controlling different types of epilepsy. It has several side effects and is associated to increased body weight, as well as metabolic and endocrine disorders, including metabolic syndrome.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of obesity and metabolic syndrome among paediatric patients with epilepsy treated in monotherapy with VPA.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was cross-sectional, observational and analytical. A sample of patients treated with VPA between 2010-2014 were studied and the body mass index (BMI), abdominal perimeter, arterial blood pressure, glucose, triglycerides and high density lipoproteins (HDL) were studied in search of obesity and metabolic syndrome. Obesity was defined as a BMI above the 95th percentile, and metabolic syndrome was considered if at least three of the following criteria were fulfilled: abdominal perimeter above the 90th percentile, systolic arterial pressure above the 90th percentile, triglycerides above 110 mg/dL and HDL below 40 mg/dL.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 47 patients with a mean age of 10.1 ± 4 years were studied; 51.06% were males. Eight (17%) of them developed obesity and, of those, two (25%) had metabolic syndrome. Three patients went on to become overweight (6%). Statistically significant differences were observed in the mean age in comparison to the BMI groups, where the obese patients were adolescents (ANOVA, p = 0.0001) and those who took more VPA per day were the obese (ANOVA, p = 0.024).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients treated with VPA who become obese may go on to develop metabolic syndrome. They require careful monitoring and, if they are seen to put on weight, withdrawal of the drug should be considered.
authors: Instituto Nacional de Pediatria, Mexico DF, Mexico.
authors: C R
authors: CR
authors: Carmona-Vazquez
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Ruiz-Garcia
authors: D M
authors: DM
authors: Pena-Landin
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Diaz-Garcia
authors: S R
authors: SR
authors: Greenawalt
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009765:Obesity / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D014635:Valproic Acid / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D014635:Valproic Acid