High-fat diets 'can offer seizure control benefits' - Epilepsy Research UK

High-fat diets 'can offer seizure control benefits'

A new single-centre study has added to the body of evidence suggesting that high-fat diets can offer seizure control benefits in epilepsy patients.

Conducted by Seattle Children's Hospital and the University of Washington, the research aimed to determine the efficacy of the modified Atkins diet (MAD) and ketogenic diet (KD) in seizure control within a population of myoclonic-atonic epilepsy (MAE) patients.

Of the nine patients that met the clinical criteria, it was found that both the MAD and KD helped to deliver complete seizure control and allowed other medications to be stopped in seven of them.

Meanwhile, the remaining two patients had greater than 90 per cent seizure control without medications, with seizure freedom has ranging from 13 to 36 months. During this time, four patients were also successfully weaned off their prescribed diets.

The researchers concluded: 'Our results suggest that strictly defined MAE patients respond to the MAD with prolonged seizure control. Some patients may require the KD for seizure freedom, suggesting a common pathway of increased requirement for fats.'

Ketogenic diets is are high in fat and low carbohydrates, and represent a common intervention for patients with epilepsy.

Posted by Anne Brown

Publication abstract: http://ift.tt/1vapjM7

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