Osteoporosis with antiepileptic drugs

Bone mineral density and risk of fractures have been analysed in 126 children with epilepsy (age range 7-16 years) who took antiepileptic drugs as monotherapy or add-on therapy during 5 years and in 132 age-matched healthy children [84 ]. The frequency of fractures was two to three times greater in the children with epilepsy than in the controls, and osteopenia and osteoporosis were more common in those taking antiepileptic drugs. 

Bone mineral density at the left femoral neck and spine has been measured in 130 Thai patients with epilepsy who had been taking long-term antiepileptic drugs, either as monotherapy ( = 79) or polytherapy ( = 51) [47 ]. Bone mineral density at the femoral neck had a mean Z-score of —0.15 and at the lumbar spine —0.56. There was osteopenia in the spine in 31 patients and in the femoral neck in 30. Three patients had osteoporosis of the spine and one had osteoporosis of the femoral neck. 

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