According to a study by researchers of Thomas Jefferson University, published online in Annals of Neurology, two commonly prescribed anticonvulsants appear to increase cardiovascular risk in epileptic patients. For the study, 34 patients with epilepsy, who were taking either phenytoin or carbamazepine, and were about to be switched to one of two newer medications, and 16 non epileptic control persons were enrolled. The researchers found that patients who were switched from phenytoin or carbamazepine to the newer medications lamotrigine or levetiracetam had significant drops in cholesterol, C-reactive protein, and other markers of cardiovascular disease risk.