Correction of vitamin D deficiency improves seizure control in epilepsy

[Guest guest]

Normal 0 false false false

MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Correction of vitamin D deficiencyimproves seizure

control in epilepsy

http://blog.vitamindcouncil.org/2012/04/18/correction-of-vitamin-d-deficiency-im\

proves-seizure-control-in-epilepsy/

 

 

Correction of vitamin D deficiency could help controlseizures in epilepsy,

according to a recently published study by a group ofresearchers in Hungary.

 

Holló A, Clemens Z, Kamondi A, Lakatos P, Szűcs A. Correctionof vitamin D

deficiency improves seizure control in epilepsy: A pilot study.Epilepsy and

Behavior. 2012 Apr 11.

 

 

Lead investigator András Holló and company measured baselinelevels of vitamin

D in 13 subjects. Ten of the subjects hadlocalization-related epilepsy, two had

Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and one subjectwas diagnosed with idiopathic generalized

epilepsy. The subjects’ ages rangedbetween 19-60 years and had epilepsy from

10 to 42 years. Median serum levelsat baseline were 11.8 ng/ml, ranging from

less than 4 ng/ml to 34.2 ng/ml.Eight of the patients had levels less than 12

ng/ml.

 

The investigators corrected deficiency in all 13 subjects byadministering a

one-time 40,000-200,000 IU dose of vitamin D3 to treatdeficiency, and then

administering a 2,000-2,600 IU daily dose of vitamin D3for 3 months. The aim of

treatment was to raise levels above 30 ng/ml. After athree month follow-up, the

median 25(OH)D level was 38 ng/ml, ranging from23.3-45 ng/ml.

 

They compared the number of seizures in this 3 month periodwith the 3 month

period beforehand. The results were as follows:

 

- 10 of the 13 subjects exhibited a decrease in number ofseizures

 

- 2 of the 13 subjects exhibited an increase in number ofseizures

 

- One of the subjects had exactly the same number of seizures

 

- Overall, there was a median seizure number reduction of40%, and this was

statistically significant (p=.04)

 

- A seizure reduction of greater than 50% was experienced infive patients

 

- In the subject who started with a level less than 4 ng/mland raised their

level to 43.1 ng/ml, they experienced a reduction in number ofseizures from 450

to 30 over three month intervals

 

 

The authors offered no mechanistic explanation for theresults. They did point

out that vitamin D receptors and enzyme activators arepresent in the brain. In

the patient who had a level lower than 4 ng/ml and 450seizures in three months,

you can’t help but speculate that low serum calciummay have played a role in

that subject’s seizure frequency.

 

Study limitations include small number of patients and lackof a placebo to

compare to. This study certainly warrants a randomizedcontrolled trial, and it

also highlights the importance of correcting vitamin Ddeficiency in epilepsy

patients. There is no harm in treating vitamin Ddeficiency, and this pilot study

shows that epilepsy patients could be muchbetter off with a simple maintenance

dose of vitamin D.

 

The Vitamin DCouncil recommends a maintenance dose of 5,000 IU/day for adults

and 1,000IU/day for every 25lbs of body weight in children to sustain vitamin

Dsufficiency.