The Influence of Valproic Acid Treatment on Hair and Serum Zinc Levels and Serum Biotinidase Activity
October 2008
in “
European journal of paediatric neurology
”
TLDR Valproic acid treatment may cause temporary hair loss due to reduced zinc and biotinidase levels, which tend to normalize after 6 months.
The study investigated the effects of valproic acid (VPA) treatment on hair and serum zinc levels and serum biotinidase activity (BA) in 32 pediatric patients over 6 months. Results showed that both hair and serum zinc levels decreased at the 3rd and 6th months of treatment, while serum BA decreased at the 3rd month but returned to initial levels by the 6th month. Patients experiencing hair loss had lower zinc levels and BA but higher serum VPA levels, although these differences were not statistically significant. The findings suggested that hair loss could be linked to zinc and BA depletion within the first 3 months and to zinc depletion alone by the 6th month.
