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(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Young women who suffer from epilepsy may want to steer clear of the drug phenytoin (Dilantin).
A new study out of Columbia University in New York finds women who took the medication for one year were significantly more likely to show signs of bone loss on standard bone density tests.
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The research involved 93 women between the ages of 18 and 40 who were taking one of several different epilepsy medications, including phenytoin, carbamazepine (Tegretol), lamotrigine (Lamictal), and valproate (Depacon). All underwent tests to measure bone mineral density at three key areas -- the spine, and the femoral neck of the hip, and the total hip.
Results showed women on phenytoin lost an average of 2.6 percent of density at the femoral neck of the hip. The other drugs didnt influence bone density at the femoral neck. None of the drugs affected bone density at the other two sites.
This is a significant amount of bone loss and raises serious concerns about the long-term effects of taking phenytoin in young women with epilepsy, study author Alison M. Pack, M.D., was quoted as saying. This amount of bone loss, especially it if continues over the long term, could put these women at increased risk of fractures after menopause.
Bone fractures at the femoral neck of the hip are known to increase the risk of death in older women.
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SOURCE: Neurology, published online April 28, 2008
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.
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