Influence of Sex, Age, and Weight on Levetiracetam Pharmacokinetics

Background: Levetiracetam (LEV) is a second-generation antiepileptic drug extensively used in therapeutics. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence that sex, age, and weight exert on LEV pharmacokinetics in clinical practice. Methods: We conducted a 6-year retrospective observational study. Patients were classified in subgroups according to sex, weight (normal range, overweight, and obese), and age (young adult: 16–30 years old, middle-aged adult: 31–50 years old, advanced adult: 51–64 years old, and elderly adult: ≥65 years old). We compared LEV apparent oral clearance (LEV CL/F) between the subgroups. Results: A total of 238 LEV basal serum concentrations (LEV C0) corresponding to 156 patients were identified. Significant differences were observed in LEV CL/F between males and females when LEV CL/F was expressed as L/h [mean (SD): 4.79 (1.84) L/h in males versus 4.13 (1.64) L/h in females; P
Source: Therapeutic Drug Monitoring - Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Original Article Source Type: research