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Valproic Acid May Contribute To Body Weight Increase In Epileptic Women

Valproic acid therapy increases glucose stimulated pancreatic insulin secretion in women with epilepsy, which could lead to a subsequent increase in body weight.

These results are from a study of the effects of valproic acid on the development of obesity, hyperinsulinism and polycystic ovaries in epileptic women.

Investigators from the Departments of Neurology, Internal Medicine and Gynaecology and Obstetrics at the University Hospital in Innsbruck, Austria, evaluated metabolic parameters and ovarian morphology in 105 epileptic women.

Fifty-two of the women had received valproate and 53 had received carbamazepine monotherapy for at least two years.

Results showed that the frequency of polycystic ovaries in both treatment groups was similar to that of the general population. However, mean body mass index was significantly higher in the valproate treatment group compared with carbamazepine group. Also, postprandial insulin, C-peptide and proinsulin levels were significantly higher increased in the patients who had been treated with valproate.

Levels of serum triglycerides also tended to be higher in the valproate group. In contrast, total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were both significantly lower in the valproate group compared with the carbamazepine group.

The investigators conclude that valproic acid therapy increases glucose-stimulated pancreatic insulin secretion, potentially leading to increased body weight.
J Neurol 2002; 249(7): 835-841. "Polycystic ovaries, obesity and insulin resistance in women with epilepsy: A comparative study of carbamazepine and valproic acid in 105 women"

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