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Impact of Ketogenic Diets on Cardiovascular Health in Adults With Epilepsy

Impact of Ketogenic Diets on Cardiovascular Health in Adults With Epilepsy

Status
Active, not recruiting
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Observational
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT02694094
Enrollment
105
Registered
2016-02-29
Start date
2016-03-01
Completion date
2027-03-01
Last updated
2026-09-08

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Cardiovascular Disease, Carotid Intimal Medial Thickness 1, Cerebrovascular Disease, Coronary Disease, Epilepsy, Heart Disease, Hypercholesterolemia, Seizure

Keywords

cholesterol, seizure, epilepsy, ketogenic, diet

Brief summary

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.

Detailed 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

Interventions

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENTModified Atkins or Ketogenic Diet

Biochemical and vascular parameters will be compared from adults who have been on ketogenic diet therapy for \> 12 months to adults naive to ketogenic diet therapy. In addition, adults naive to diet therapy who subsequently begin diet therapy will have these same parameters followed over time.

Sponsors

Johns Hopkins University
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Observational model
COHORT
Time perspective
PROSPECTIVE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 100 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes

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

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Change in carotid artery intima-media thickness (mm) measured by carotid artery ultrasoundBaseline and 12 months post diet implementationCarotid artery ultrasound will be used to measure the change in average intima-media thickness over time with comparisons between baseline and 12 months of diet therapy.
Change in LDL fractions (nmol/L)Baseline and 12 months post diet implementationThe change in levels of fasting serum low density lipoprotein (LDL) fractions (nmol/L) will be measured over time with comparisons between baseline and 12 months of diet therapy.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Change in LDL fractions (nmol/L)Baseline and 3 months post diet implementationThe change in levels of fasting serum low density lipoprotein (LDL) fractions (nmol/L) will be measured over time with comparisons between baseline and 3 months of diet therapy.
Change in apolipoproteins (mg/dL)Baseline and 3 months post diet implementationThe change in fasting serum levels of apolipoproteins B and A-1 will be measured over time with comparisons between baseline and 3 months of diet therapy.
Change in carotid artery intima-media thickness (mm) measured by carotid arteryBaseline and 24 months post diet implementationCarotid artery ultrasound will be used to measure the change in average intima-media thickness over time with comparisons between baseline and 24 months of diet therapy.

Countries

United States

Contacts

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORMackenzie C Cervenka, MD

Johns Hopkins University

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Sep 9, 2026