Effect of anticonvulsant drugs on plasma total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and apolipoproteins A and B in children with epilepsy.

The effect of long-term anticonvulsant drug therapy with phenobarbital, phenytoin, carbamazepine, primidone, and valproic acid in epileptic children on plasma total cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC) was studied. Except valproic acid, all the drugs significantly increased the total cholesterol and HDLC, but the effect was more pronounced with HDLC. Among the subfractions of HDLC, almost all the increase due to drug therapy were in the HDLC-2 fraction. Treatment with antiepileptic drugs had no effect on HDLC-3. Apolipoprotein-A levels were significantly higher with drug therapy, but no effect was seen in the apolipoprotein-B levels. Plasma concentration of total cholesterol, HDLC, or its components was unaffected with valproic acid therapy.