Depakote One of Few Epilepsy Drugs Not Linked to Increase Fracture Risk

Calgary, CanadaWhile a new study shows that many epilepsy drugs increase the risk of bone fractures in older adults, Depakote was the lone exception to be tested, HealthDay News reports.

span itemprop="image" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/ImageObject" style="display:block">According to the news provider, Canadian researchers examined the medical records of 15,792 people age 50 and older who experienced non-traumatic fractures between April 1996 and March 2004. Each of these people was then matched up with a control group of three people, the study said.

The researchers also examined participants' use of epilepsy drugs such as Tegretol, Klonopin, Zarontin and Depakote, and found that valproic acid (Depakote) was the only drug not linked to a fracture increase.

"In conclusion, our study showed that most anti-epileptic drugs except for valproic acid are associated with an increased likelihood of non-traumatic fracture in individuals aged 50 years or older," Dr. Nathalie Jette of the University of Calgary's Foothill Hospital and his colleagues wrote in a journal news release.

According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, taking Depakote can increase one's risk of developing liver damage, particularly in children under two years old.