The C.A.M. Report
Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Fair, Balanced, and to the Point
  • About this web log

    This blog ran from 2006 to 2016 and was intended as an objective and dispassionate source of information on the latest CAM research. Since my background is in pharmacy and allopathic medicine, I view all CAM as advancing through the development pipeline to eventually become integrated into mainstream medical practice. Some will succeed while others fail. But all are treated fairly here.

  • About the author

    John Russo, Jr., PharmD, is president of The MedCom Resource, Inc. Previously, he was senior vice president of medical communications at www.Vicus.com, a complementary and alternative medicine website.

  • Common sense considerations

    The material on this weblog is for informational purposes. It is not medical advice or counsel. Be smart, consult your health professional before using CAM.

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  • Recent Comments

    The risk of vitamin D deficiency in people with epilepsy

    Research presented during the American Epilepsy Society 61st Annual Meeting shows that almost half of all people with epilepsy are vitamin D deficient.

    First, the details.

    • 25-hydroxy-vitamin D blood levels were measured in 285 men and women with a seizure disorder.
    • They were then treated with 1 capsule of 50,000 IU of vitamin D2 per week for 8 weeks, and rechecked.

    And, the results.

    • 45% of epilepsy patients — 45% of men and 44% of women — were vitamin D deficient.
    • Those who took the vitamin D experienced improvement.

    The bottom line?
    Vitamin D deficiency potentially increases the risk for a wide variety of conditions, including osteoporosis, autoimmune disease, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and infectious disease. It’s also been reported in children with epilepsy.

    In a Medscape interview, Dr. Ioannis Karakis from Boston University School of Medicine in Massachusetts states that antiepileptic medicine can affect vitamin D metabolism, leading to the deficiency. In addition, lifestyle changes that limit sun exposure and physical activity can lower bone-mineral density.

    Vitamin D supplements are recommended for people with epilepsy.

    12/7/07 19:31 JR

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