[Influence of anti-epileptic drugs on blood lipid parameters: preliminary data]

Total cholesterol, free cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides have been assayed in serum of 42 epileptic patients in chronic therapy (21 in monotherapy and 21 in polytherapy) in comparison with 21 normal controls. Free cholesterol showed an highly significant increase in epileptics, in whom triglycerides appeared very reduced. In contrast to previous reports of a large increase of HDL cholesterol in phenitoin treated patients, only a not significant increase was found. The other parameters appeared unchanged. No differencies could be detected among monotherapy and polytherapy or among the singles monotherapies (phenobarbital, diphenylhydantoin and carbamazepine).