All 6 studies that investigated bone mineralization had significant findings ; however , due to varying method ologies , the impact of vitamin D on bone mineralization was inconclusive .
SIGNIFICANCE Vitamin D does appear to have some benefit to bone health in adults with epilepsy , and therefore supplementation could potentially be a requisite to using some AEDs .
OBJECTIVE Several antiepileptic drugs ( AEDs ) have been associated with a detrimental effect on bone health through a reduction in serum vitamin D. Subsequently , several studies have investigated the effect of vitamin D supplementation in persons with epilepsy being treated with AEDs .
The present systematic review of published literature was conducted to determine the effect of vitamin D intervention on bone health in adults with epilepsy .
Incidence of Anticonvulsant Osteomalacia and Effect of Vitamin D: Controlled Therapeutic Trial
The bone mineral content ( B.M.C. ) in both forearms ( related to total body calcium ) was measured by photon absorptiometry for a controlled therapeutic trial in a representative sample of epileptic out patients , comprising 226 patients treated with one or two major anticonvulsant drugs ( phenytoin , phenobarbitone , primidone ) .  Initially the mean B.M.C. value for all epileptic patients was 87 % of normal . During treatment with 2,000 international units of vitamin D2 daily for three months an average B.M.C. increase of 4 % was found , whereas the B.M.C. values remained unchanged in the placebo group and in the control groups . The incidence of hypocalcaemia and raised serum alkaline phosphatase was 12 % and 43 % respectively . The biochemical indices of osteomalacia were related to B.M.C. These results indicate that epileptic patients should be closely supervised for the occurrence of anticonvulsant osteomalacia , and , possibly , receive prophylactic treatment with vitamin
All 6 studies that investigated bone mineralization had significant findings ; however , due to varying method ologies , the impact of vitamin D on bone mineralization was inconclusive .
SIGNIFICANCE Vitamin D does appear to have some benefit to bone health in adults with epilepsy , and therefore supplementation could potentially be a requisite to using some AEDs .
OBJECTIVE Several antiepileptic drugs ( AEDs ) have been associated with a detrimental effect on bone health through a reduction in serum vitamin D. Subsequently , several studies have investigated the effect of vitamin D supplementation in persons with epilepsy being treated with AEDs .
The present systematic review of published literature was conducted to determine the effect of vitamin D intervention on bone health in adults with epilepsy .