Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome in Epilepsy Patients ReceivingAntiepileptic Therapy: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS), a cluster of cardiovascular risk factors including obesity,hypertension, dyslipidemia, and insulin resistance, has emerged as a significant concern in patients with epilepsy,particularly those on long-term antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). Certain AEDs are known to alter metabolic profiles,potentially increasing the risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes in this population.Objective: To assess the prevalence of metabolic syndrome among epilepsy patients on antiepileptic medicationsand to analyze the association between AED type and metabolic abnormalities.Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted over a one year period at the Department ofNeurology, Paras HMRI Hospital, Patna, Bihar, India. A total of 120 adult patients with epilepsy on AEDs formore than 6 months were evaluated. Clinical assessments, anthropometric measurements, and laboratoryinvestigations were carried out. Metabolic syndrome was diagnosed based on the NCEP ATP III criteria.Results: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was found to be 38.3% among the study participants. The mostcommon components were abdominal obesity (64%) and hypertriglyceridemia (56%). Pat