PHENYTOIN IS ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASED RISK OF OSTEOPOROSIS AND FRAGILITY FRACTURES IN ADULT EPILEPTIC PATIENTS

Osteoporotic fractures lead to significant decreases in quality of life with increases in morbidity, mortality, and disability. Treatment with a variety of anti-epileptic drugs, such as phenytoin, has been understood to cause a decrease in bone mineral density. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of phenytoin on fracture rates in the adult epileptic population. Cohort A was identified as patients that were 18 to 55 years old that had epilepsy and recurrent seizures that were also prescribed phenytoin. Cohort B was identified as patients that were 18 to 55 years old that had epilepsy and recurrent seizures but were not prescribed phenytoin or other anti-epileptic medications. Cohorts were matched for relevant confounding pathologies and demographic factors, such as age, sex, race, and ethnicity. Outcomes were evaluated from 1 day to 5 years after the indexed event. A total of 35,936 patients with epilepsy that were prescribed phenytoin were matched with 109,335 patients with epilepsy that were not prescribed phenytoin. Patients on phenytoin therapy were at significantly higher risk for osteoporosis without pathological fracture, fracture of metatarsal bone, fracture of shoulder and upper arm, fracture of distal radius, fracture of thoracic vertebra, fracture of cervical vertebra, fracture of lumbar vertebra, fracture of femoral head or neck, pertrochanteric fracture, femoral shaft fracture, and distal tibia fracture (all outcomes p < 0.001). Epileptic patients on phenytoin therapy that were 18 to 55 years old exhibited higher associated risk of osteoporosis and osteoporotic-fragility fractures of various regions. Patients that undergo phenytoin therapy for epilepsy treatment should be educated on the increased risk of bone fractures and have appropriate lifestyle and diet modifications.