Evaluation of the factors affecting the quality of life and total costs in epilepsy patients on monotherapy with carbamazepine and valproate

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of different demographic and clinical factors on the quality of life and cost of treatment of epilepsy patients on monotherapy with carbamazepine and valproate. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 146 patients (67 male, 79 female, age range 18-80 years) with focal and generalized seizures were studied for one year. The patients were allocated into two groups depending on the drug they received: group one--46 patients on carbamazepine, and group two--100 patients on valproate. Quality of life (QOL) and total costs per patient per year were calculated. QOL was assessed using a questionnaire--Quality of Life in Epilepsy Inventory (QOLIE-31). Costs included direct medical, non-medical and indirect costs related to either epilepsy or its treatment. The assessed demographic and clinical factors were: age, gender, type of seizures, number of registered adverse events (AE) per three months, interval between seizures and seizure reduction percentage. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: In both groups, age, gender and type of seizures didn't cause significant differences in the formation of QOL and costs. In the carbamazepine patients costs were influenced by the incidence of AEs, the time between seizures and seizure reduction percentage. In the valproate patients costs were mainly influenced by the time period between seizures while QOL by the incidence of AEs.