title: Metabolic syndrome in young adults with epilepsy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Persons with epilepsy have higher cardiovascular mortality and morbidity compared to general population and alteration of their biochemical milieu is one of the proposed mechanisms. We aimed to study the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular risk factors in young adults with epilepsy and the association with antiepileptic drug use.
  
  
  METHODS
  An observational study was conducted in persons with epilepsy aged 20-49 years using antiepileptic drugs regularly for the previous three years. The subjects were examined and their blood samples were collected for fasting blood glucose and lipid profile.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Over 18 months, 183 patients (120 males; 63 females) were recruited (mean age 32.5 ± 8.9 years). Metabolic syndrome (MetS) by ATP III criteria was present in 54 (29.5%) subjects. People with MetS in our group had higher frequency of abdominal obesity (50.0%) and hypertriglyceridemia (55.5%) than diabetes/impaired fasting glucose (27.8%). Older age (p=0.005) and use of valproate (p=0.012) were associated with significant risk of MetS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Clinicians need to be vigilant regarding the risk of MetS while initiating treatment and following up persons with epilepsy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum, India.
authors.forename: Sruthi S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Nair
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum, India.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Harikrishnan
authors.affiliation: Achutha Menon Centre for Health Science Studies, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum, India.
authors.forename: P Sankara
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Sarma
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum, India. Electronic address: sanjeev.v.thomas@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Sanjeev V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Thomas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose
keywords: Epilepsy; Metabolic syndrome; Valproate