Impact of Ketogenic Diets on Cardiovascular Health in Adults With Epilepsy

Johns Hopkins University

Status: Invitation-only

Conditions: Seizure; Epilepsy; Cerebrovascular Disease; Hypercholesterolemia; Carotid Intimal Medial Thickness 1; Coronary Disease; Heart Disease; Cardiovascular Disease

Treatments: Dietary Supplement: Modified Atkins or Ketogenic Diet

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02694094

IRB00070557

Details and patient eligibility

About

This research is being done to evaluate the short term and long term effects of ketogenic diets on measures of cardiovascular health. Such measures include cholesterol levels, blood pressure, weight, and thickening of the blood vessel wall over time. Adults aged 18 or older who are already on a ketogenic diet for at least 12 months or who are interested in beginning on the modified Atkins diet may join.

Full description

If participants agree to be in this study, the investigators will ask the participants to do the following things:

At Initial enrollment for both longterm ketogenic diet and new modified Atkins diet participants

Review of calendars (showing seizures) and 3-day food record Check height and weight, blood pressure, skin-fold thickness and waist circumference Standard modified Atkins diet clinic labs will be drawn as well as levels of low density lipoprotein (LDL) fractions, fatty acids, and apolipoproteins B and A-1 Participant will receive a high-resolution ultrasound of the carotid arteries in the neck performed either the day of enrollment or within 1 month of enrollment

At follow-up clinic visits (month 3 and month 6) for new modified Atkins diet participants

Review of calendars and food records Labs repeated - standard modified Atkins diet clinic labs as well as levels of low density lipoprotein (LDL) fractions, fatty acids, and apolipoproteins B and A-1 Check height and weight, blood pressure, skin-fold thickness and waist circumference

At follow-up clinic visits (month 12 and month 24) for new modified Atkins diet participants

Review of calendars and food records Labs repeated - standard modified Atkins diet clinic labs as well as levels of low density lipoprotein (LDL) fractions, fatty acids, and apolipoproteins B and A-1 Check height and weight, blood pressure, skin-fold thickness and waist circumference Participants will receive a high-resolution ultrasound of the carotid arteries in the neck performed either the day of follow-up or within 1 month of follow-up

Enrollment: 105 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 100 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• 18 years of age or older
• Body mass index (BMI) > 18.5
• Stable antiepileptic drug regimen for > 1 month.

Exclusion criteria

• < 18 years of age
• Body mass index (BMI) < 18.5
• Changes in antiepileptic drug regimen < 1 month prior to participation
• Previous cardiovascular event or treatment ((including myocardial infarction, stroke, coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI))
• Acute pancreatitis
• Unwilling to restrict carbohydrates
• Kidney disease
• Contraindicated metabolic or mitochondrial disorder

Trial design

105 participants in 2 patient groups

Adults on Chronic ketogenic diets

Description:

Adults who have been on Modified Atkins or ketogenic diets for over 1 year

Treatment:

Dietary Supplement: Modified Atkins or Ketogenic Diet

Adults naive to ketogenic diets

Description:

Adults who have never been on Modified Atkins or ketogenic diets