Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the carotid artery intima-media thickness (CA-IMT) in adult patients with epilepsy and its contribution to oxidative stress and vascular risk biomarkers.
This study included 225 adult epileptic and 60 control subjects. For all, CA-IMT, fasting lipid profile (TC, TG, HDL-c and LDL-c), total homocysteine (tHcy), von Willbrand factor (vWF), fibrinogen, oxidized LDL (Ox-LDL), malondialdehyde (MDA), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARs), uric acid, total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH.Px), were assessed.
Compared to control group, the IMT of patients’ common carotid artery, bifurcation area and internal carotid arteries was significantly thickened in 51.1%, 73.3% and 43.6% in various groups of patients (treated and untreated). In the studied patients, the levels of tHcy, vWF, fibrinogen, MDA, TBARs, Ox-LDL levels were increased while HDL-c and TAC were decreased. Patients on CBZ showed the most significant changes in the levels of tHcy, vWF and HDL-c while patients on VPA showed significant alteration in uric acid, TBARs and GSH.Px.
This study supports that in patients with epilepsy, various vascular risk factors and CA-IMT, get worse which could be attributed to epilepsy itself and/or its antiepileptic medications.