Almost half of all patients with epilepsy are vitamin D deficient. These patients are therefore also at an increased risk of osteoporosis, autoimmune disease, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and infectious disease.
Antiepileptic medications can affect vitamin D metabolism and lead to deficiency. In addition, patients with epilepsy often have other risk factors that predispose them to vitamin D deficiency, such as limited sun exposure.
Somewhat surprisingly, vitamin D deficiency is slightly more prevalent among male epileptics.