RESUMO
INTRODUCTION: Valproic acid (VPA) is a useful antiepileptic drug for controlling different types of epilepsy. It has several side effects and is associated to increased body weight, as well as metabolic and endocrine disorders, including metabolic syndrome. AIM: To determine the prevalence of obesity and metabolic syndrome among paediatric patients with epilepsy treated in monotherapy with VPA. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study was cross-sectional, observational and analytical. A sample of patients treated with VPA between 2010-2014 were studied and the body mass index (BMI), abdominal perimeter, arterial blood pressure, glucose, triglycerides and high density lipoproteins (HDL) were studied in search of obesity and metabolic syndrome. Obesity was defined as a BMI above the 95th percentile, and metabolic syndrome was considered if at least three of the following criteria were fulfilled: abdominal perimeter above the 90th percentile, systolic arterial pressure above the 90th percentile, triglycerides above 110 mg/dL and HDL below 40 mg/dL. RESULTS: A total of 47 patients with a mean age of 10.1 ± 4 years were studied; 51.06% were males. Eight (17%) of them developed obesity and, of those, two (25%) had metabolic syndrome. Three patients went on to become overweight (6%). Statistically significant differences were observed in the mean age in comparison to the BMI groups, where the obese patients were adolescents (ANOVA, p = 0.0001) and those who took more VPA per day were the obese (ANOVA, p = 0.024). CONCLUSIONS: Patients treated with VPA who become obese may go on to develop metabolic syndrome. They require careful monitoring and, if they are seen to put on weight, withdrawal of the drug should be considered.
TITLE: Prevalencia de obesidad y sindrome metabolico en pacientes pediatricos con epilepsia tratados en monoterapia con acido valproico.Introduccion. El acido valproico (VPA) es un antiepileptico util para controlar diferentes tipos de epilepsia. Tiene efectos colaterales y se asocia a incremento del peso corporal y a alteraciones metabolicas y endocrinas, entre ellas sindrome metabolico. Objetivo. Conocer la prevalencia de la obesidad y el sindrome metabolico en pacientes pediatricos con epilepsia tratados en monoterapia con VPA. Pacientes y metodos. Estudio transversal, observacional, analitico. Se estudiaron pacientes tratados con VPA entre 2010-2014, y se midio el indice de masa corporal (IMC), el perimetro abdominal, la presion arterial, la glucosa, los trigliceridos y las lipoproteinas de alta densidad (HDL), en busqueda de obesidad y sindrome metabolico. La obesidad se definio con un IMC mayor del percentil 95; el sindrome metabolico, con al menos tres de los siguientes criterios: perimetro abdominal mayor del percentil 90, presion arterial sistemica mayor del percentil 90, trigliceridos mayores de 110 mg/dL y HDL menor de 40 mg/dL. Resultados. Se estudiaron 47 pacientes con una edad media de 10,1 ± 4 años; el 51,06% eran varones. Ocho (17%) desarrollaron obesidad y, de ellos, dos (25%), sindrome metabolico. Tres pacientes desarrollaron sobrepeso (6%). Observamos diferencias estadisticamente significativas de media de edad comparados con los grupos de IMC, donde los pacientes obesos eran adolescentes (ANOVA; p = 0,0001), y aquellos que tomaban mas VPA al dia eran los obesos (ANOVA; p = 0,024). Conclusiones. Los pacientes tratados con VPA que se convierten en obesos pueden desarrollar sindrome metabolico. Requieren una monitorizacion cuidadosa y, ante la presencia de ganancia de peso, se debera valorar la retirada del farmaco.