The Benefit of Prescribing Vitamin D as Add on Therapy on the Electrocardiographic Changes in Epileptic Patients.

BACKGROUND: Epileptic children and adolescent have a significantly low serum level of vitamin D due to the effect of antiepileptic drugs on the vitamin D metabolism. Those patients are at risk of cardiovascular events.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to show that epileptic patients who treated with antiepileptic drugs supplemented with vitamin D are free from the electrocardiograph changes compared with those treated with antiepileptic drugs.

METHOD: This cross-sectional study included, 121 epileptic patients aged < 18 years of both genders with a history of idiopathic generalized tonic clonic seizure. They grouped into Group I (n=20) patients without medical treatment, Group II (n=76) patients treated with antiepileptic drugs, and vitamin D Group III (n=25) patients treated with antiepileptic drugs supplemented with vitamin D3 vitamin D. Each participant subjected to the electrocardiogram investigation at the time of entry into the study.

RESULTS: Group III patients had a significant decrease of QRS complex, QRS dispersion QTcorrected, and TQ duration compared with Group II. Group I patients, had a significant increase of QRS complex duration, compared with Group II patients. Four patients of Group II showed a significant prolonged QT-interval in the QT nomogram. Three patients had a JT index (an indicator of ventricular hyperpolarization) more than the normal cutoff level of 112. The area under the curve of receiving operating characteristics showed significant favorable effects of vitamin D supplementation on the different variables of electrocardiograph.

CONCLUSION: Vitamin D supplementation may correct the changes in the electrocardiograph observed in idiopathic generalized tonic clonic seizure treated with antiepileptic medicines, and our observations warrant larger studies.