Abstract
References
- Vivanco‐Hidalgo RM, Gomez A, Moreira A, Díez L, Elosua R, Roquer J. Prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in people with epilepsy. Brain Behav. 2017;7(2):e00618. doi:10.1002/brb3.618
- Terman SW, Aubert CE, Hill CE, Skvarce J, Burke JF, Mintzer S. Cardiovascular disease risk, awareness, and treatment in people with epilepsy. Epilepsy Behav. 2021;117:107878.
- Nei M, Ho J, Ho RT. Cardiovascular Effects of Antiseizure Medications for Epilepsy. CNS Drugs. 2025;1-19. doi:10.1007/s40263-025-01163-x
- Płonka-Półtorak E, Zagrodzki P, Kryczyk-Kozioł J, et al. Does valproate therapy in epileptic patients contribute to changing atherosclerosis risk factors? The role of lipids and free fatty acids. Pharmacol Rep. 2016;68:1339-1344. doi:10.1016/j.pharep.2016.09.001
- Zuberi NA, Baig M, Bano S, Batool Z, Haider S, Perveen T. Assessment of atherosclerotic risk among patients with epilepsy on valproic acid, lamotrigine, and carbamazepine treatment. Neurosci J. 2017;22(2):114-118. doi:10.17712/nsj.2017.2.20160342
- Khot SS, Shaikh MH, Gupta L. Atherosclerotic risk among epileptic patients taking carbamazepine, phenytoin treatment: brief review. Int J Pharm Sci Res. 2013;4(3):900-906. doi:10.13040/IJPSR.0975-8232.4(3).900-06
- Talaat FM, Kamel T, Rabah AM, Ahmed SM, El-Jaafary SI, Abdelaziz GH. Epilepsy and antiepileptic drugs: risk factors for atherosclerosis. Int J Neurosci. 2015;125(7):507-511. doi:10.3109/00207454.2014.949704
- Nikolaos T, Stylianos G, Chryssoula N, et al. The effect of long-term antiepileptic treatment on serum cholesterol (TC, HDL, LDL) and triglyceride levels in adult epileptic patients on monotherapy. Med Sci Monit. 2004;10(4):MT50-MT52.
- Bhardwaj S, Bhattacharjee J, Bhatnagar MK, Tyagi S, Delhi N. Atherogenic index of plasma, castelli risk index and atherogenic coefficient-new parameters in assessing cardiovascular risk. Int J Pharm Biol Sci. 2013;3(3):359-64.
- Kwan P, Arzimanoglou A, Berg AT, et al. Definition of drug resistant epilepsy: consensus proposal by the ad hoc task force of the ILAE Commission on Therapeutic Strategies. Epilepsia. 2010;51(6):1069-77. doi:10.1111/j.1528-1167.2009.02397.x
- Cardenas-Rodriguez N, Huerta-Gertrudis B, Rivera-Espinosa L, et al. Role of oxidative stress in refractory epilepsy: evidence in patients and experimental models. Int J Mol Sci. 2013;14(1):1455-1476. doi:10.3390/ijms14011455
- Yadav R, Liu Y, Kwok S, et al. Effect of extended-release niacin on High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL) functionality, lipoprotein metabolism, and mediators of vascular inflammation in statin-treated patients. J Am Heart Assoc. 2015; 15:4(9):e001508. doi:10.1161/jaha.114.001508
- Muller AL, Diaz-Arias L, Cervenka MC, McDonald TJ. The effect of anti-seizure medications on lipid values in adults with epilepsy. Epilepsy Behav. 2023;144: 109260. doi:10.1016/j.yebeh.2023.109260
- Vyas MV, Davidson BA, Escalaya L, Costella J, Saposnik G, Burneo JG. Antiepileptic drug use for treatment of epilepsy and dyslipidemia: systematic review. Epilepsy Res. 2015;113:44-67. doi:10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2015.03.002
- Mintzer S, Skidmore CT, Abidin CJ, et al. Effects of antiepileptic drugs on lipids, homocysteine, and C-reactive protein. Ann Neurol. 2009;65(4):448-456. doi:10.1002/ana.21615
- Lossius MI, Nakken KO, Mowinckel P, Taubøll E, Gjerstad L. Favorable change of lipid profile after carbamazepine withdrawal. Acta Neurol Scand. 2016;134(3):219-23. doi:10.1111/ane.12534
- Sareen S, Vyas R, Soni Y, Verma A. A prospective study of lipid profile changes in patients on anti-epileptic drug therapy. Int J Res Rev. 2019;6(9):123-127.
- Mahrous DM, Moustafa AN, Higazi MM, Higazi AM, AbdelAziz RA. Influence of different antiseizure medications on vascular risk factors in children with epilepsy. Children. 2022;9(10):1499. doi:10.3390/children9101499
- Mahmoud AA, Aboelghar HM, Abdelmageed SM, Abdallah HM, Garib MI, Abd El Hady NM. Assessment of asymmetric dimethylarginine and homocysteine in epileptic children receiving antiepileptic drugs. Pediatr Res. 2022;92(6):1606-1612. doi:10.1038/s41390-022-02132-6
- Lioy B, Webb RJ, Amirabdollahian F. The association between the atherogenic index of plasma and cardiometabolic risk factors: a review. Healthcare (Basel). 2023;11(7):966. doi:10.3390/healthcare11070966
- Nazish S. Obesity and metabolic syndrome in patients with epilepsy, their relation with epilepsy control. Ann Afr Med. 2023;22(2):136-144. doi:10.4103/aam.aam_139_22
- Gaertner ML, Mintzer S, DeGiorgio CM. Increased cardiovascular risk in epilepsy. Front Neurol. 2024;15:1339276. doi:10.3389/fneur.2024.1339276
- Attilakos A, Dinopoulos A, Tsirouda M, et al. Effect of levetiracetam monotherapy on lipid profiles and thyroid hormones in children with epilepsy: a prospective study. Epilepsy Res. 2019;155:106162. doi:10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2019.106162
- Wang M, Wang M, Zhang Q, Zong S, Lv C. Pharmacokinetics and safety of levetiracetam extended-release tablets and relative bioavailability compared with immediate-release tablets in healthy Chinese subjects. Eur J Drug Metab Pharmacokinet. 2018;43(4):405-413. doi:10.1007/s13318-018-0461-2
- Çetin İD, Demiral M. The effect of levetiracetam therapy on lipid profile in epileptic children. Anatol J Gen Med Res. 2023;33(3). 342-348. doi:10.4274/anatoljmed.2022.49765
- Özer G. Do antiepileptics have any potential to induce insulin resistance? A comparison between levetiracetam and valproic acid. Eur Res J. 2019;5(1):88-93. doi:10.18621/eurj.382538
- Janousek J, Barber A, Goldman L, Klein P. Obesity in adults with epilepsy. Epilepsy Behav. 2013;28(3):391-394. doi:10.1016/j.yebeh.2013.05.012
Abstract
Objective: Epilepsy is increasingly recognized as a condition associated with elevated cardiovascular risk, potentially influenced by both the disease itself and long-term antiseizure medication (ASM) use. Atherogenic lipid indices enable a more detailed evaluation of cardiovascular risk that may not be evident through conventional lipid measurements.
Methods: In this retrospective analysis, 71 patients with epilepsy and 50 age- and sex-matched healthy individuals were recruited from the Neurology and Cardiology outpatient departments of Siirt Training and Research Hospital between January 1, 2024, and January 1, 2025. According to the criteria established by the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE), patients were classified into two subgroups: drug-sensitive epilepsy (DSE, n=52) and drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE, n=19). Demographic, clinical, and biochemical data were collected. Atherogenic indices were calculated and compared across groups. The relationships between treatment duration and lipid-based risk indicators were examined using correlation analysis and multivariate linear regression, accounting for potential covariates.
Results: Compared with healthy controls, the DRE group exhibited significantly lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels (p=0.030) and higher Castelli Risk Index II (CRI-II) values (p=0.01). In multivariate regression models, longer epilepsy duration and higher body mass index (BMI) were independently associated with increased CRI-II (p=0.023 and p=0.003, respectively) and Cholesterol Index (CHOLIndex) (p=0.026 and p=0.009, respectively).
Conclusions: Epilepsy patients, particularly those with DRE or prolonged treatment duration, demonstrate unfavorable shifts in lipid-based cardiovascular risk markers.
Keywords
Epilepsy Atherogenic index of plasma CHOLIndex Cardiovascular risk Antiseizure medications Drug resistant
Ethical Statement
The study was approved by the Siirt University Noninterventional Clinical Research Ethical Committee (Date: 20.05.2025, Decision No: 2025/01/05/17).
References
- Vivanco‐Hidalgo RM, Gomez A, Moreira A, Díez L, Elosua R, Roquer J. Prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in people with epilepsy. Brain Behav. 2017;7(2):e00618. doi:10.1002/brb3.618
- Terman SW, Aubert CE, Hill CE, Skvarce J, Burke JF, Mintzer S. Cardiovascular disease risk, awareness, and treatment in people with epilepsy. Epilepsy Behav. 2021;117:107878.
- Nei M, Ho J, Ho RT. Cardiovascular Effects of Antiseizure Medications for Epilepsy. CNS Drugs. 2025;1-19. doi:10.1007/s40263-025-01163-x
- Płonka-Półtorak E, Zagrodzki P, Kryczyk-Kozioł J, et al. Does valproate therapy in epileptic patients contribute to changing atherosclerosis risk factors? The role of lipids and free fatty acids. Pharmacol Rep. 2016;68:1339-1344. doi:10.1016/j.pharep.2016.09.001
- Zuberi NA, Baig M, Bano S, Batool Z, Haider S, Perveen T. Assessment of atherosclerotic risk among patients with epilepsy on valproic acid, lamotrigine, and carbamazepine treatment. Neurosci J. 2017;22(2):114-118. doi:10.17712/nsj.2017.2.20160342
- Khot SS, Shaikh MH, Gupta L. Atherosclerotic risk among epileptic patients taking carbamazepine, phenytoin treatment: brief review. Int J Pharm Sci Res. 2013;4(3):900-906. doi:10.13040/IJPSR.0975-8232.4(3).900-06
- Talaat FM, Kamel T, Rabah AM, Ahmed SM, El-Jaafary SI, Abdelaziz GH. Epilepsy and antiepileptic drugs: risk factors for atherosclerosis. Int J Neurosci. 2015;125(7):507-511. doi:10.3109/00207454.2014.949704
- Nikolaos T, Stylianos G, Chryssoula N, et al. The effect of long-term antiepileptic treatment on serum cholesterol (TC, HDL, LDL) and triglyceride levels in adult epileptic patients on monotherapy. Med Sci Monit. 2004;10(4):MT50-MT52.
- Bhardwaj S, Bhattacharjee J, Bhatnagar MK, Tyagi S, Delhi N. Atherogenic index of plasma, castelli risk index and atherogenic coefficient-new parameters in assessing cardiovascular risk. Int J Pharm Biol Sci. 2013;3(3):359-64.
- Kwan P, Arzimanoglou A, Berg AT, et al. Definition of drug resistant epilepsy: consensus proposal by the ad hoc task force of the ILAE Commission on Therapeutic Strategies. Epilepsia. 2010;51(6):1069-77. doi:10.1111/j.1528-1167.2009.02397.x
- Cardenas-Rodriguez N, Huerta-Gertrudis B, Rivera-Espinosa L, et al. Role of oxidative stress in refractory epilepsy: evidence in patients and experimental models. Int J Mol Sci. 2013;14(1):1455-1476. doi:10.3390/ijms14011455
- Yadav R, Liu Y, Kwok S, et al. Effect of extended-release niacin on High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL) functionality, lipoprotein metabolism, and mediators of vascular inflammation in statin-treated patients. J Am Heart Assoc. 2015; 15:4(9):e001508. doi:10.1161/jaha.114.001508
- Muller AL, Diaz-Arias L, Cervenka MC, McDonald TJ. The effect of anti-seizure medications on lipid values in adults with epilepsy. Epilepsy Behav. 2023;144: 109260. doi:10.1016/j.yebeh.2023.109260
- Vyas MV, Davidson BA, Escalaya L, Costella J, Saposnik G, Burneo JG. Antiepileptic drug use for treatment of epilepsy and dyslipidemia: systematic review. Epilepsy Res. 2015;113:44-67. doi:10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2015.03.002
- Mintzer S, Skidmore CT, Abidin CJ, et al. Effects of antiepileptic drugs on lipids, homocysteine, and C-reactive protein. Ann Neurol. 2009;65(4):448-456. doi:10.1002/ana.21615
- Lossius MI, Nakken KO, Mowinckel P, Taubøll E, Gjerstad L. Favorable change of lipid profile after carbamazepine withdrawal. Acta Neurol Scand. 2016;134(3):219-23. doi:10.1111/ane.12534
- Sareen S, Vyas R, Soni Y, Verma A. A prospective study of lipid profile changes in patients on anti-epileptic drug therapy. Int J Res Rev. 2019;6(9):123-127.
- Mahrous DM, Moustafa AN, Higazi MM, Higazi AM, AbdelAziz RA. Influence of different antiseizure medications on vascular risk factors in children with epilepsy. Children. 2022;9(10):1499. doi:10.3390/children9101499
- Mahmoud AA, Aboelghar HM, Abdelmageed SM, Abdallah HM, Garib MI, Abd El Hady NM. Assessment of asymmetric dimethylarginine and homocysteine in epileptic children receiving antiepileptic drugs. Pediatr Res. 2022;92(6):1606-1612. doi:10.1038/s41390-022-02132-6
- Lioy B, Webb RJ, Amirabdollahian F. The association between the atherogenic index of plasma and cardiometabolic risk factors: a review. Healthcare (Basel). 2023;11(7):966. doi:10.3390/healthcare11070966
- Nazish S. Obesity and metabolic syndrome in patients with epilepsy, their relation with epilepsy control. Ann Afr Med. 2023;22(2):136-144. doi:10.4103/aam.aam_139_22
- Gaertner ML, Mintzer S, DeGiorgio CM. Increased cardiovascular risk in epilepsy. Front Neurol. 2024;15:1339276. doi:10.3389/fneur.2024.1339276
- Attilakos A, Dinopoulos A, Tsirouda M, et al. Effect of levetiracetam monotherapy on lipid profiles and thyroid hormones in children with epilepsy: a prospective study. Epilepsy Res. 2019;155:106162. doi:10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2019.106162
- Wang M, Wang M, Zhang Q, Zong S, Lv C. Pharmacokinetics and safety of levetiracetam extended-release tablets and relative bioavailability compared with immediate-release tablets in healthy Chinese subjects. Eur J Drug Metab Pharmacokinet. 2018;43(4):405-413. doi:10.1007/s13318-018-0461-2
- Çetin İD, Demiral M. The effect of levetiracetam therapy on lipid profile in epileptic children. Anatol J Gen Med Res. 2023;33(3). 342-348. doi:10.4274/anatoljmed.2022.49765
- Özer G. Do antiepileptics have any potential to induce insulin resistance? A comparison between levetiracetam and valproic acid. Eur Res J. 2019;5(1):88-93. doi:10.18621/eurj.382538
- Janousek J, Barber A, Goldman L, Klein P. Obesity in adults with epilepsy. Epilepsy Behav. 2013;28(3):391-394. doi:10.1016/j.yebeh.2013.05.012
Details
| Primary Language | English |
|---|---|
| Subjects | Clinical Sciences (Other) |
| Journal Section | Research Article |
| Authors | |
| Submission Date | July 26, 2025 |
| Acceptance Date | December 25, 2025 |
| Early Pub Date | February 11, 2026 |
| Publication Date | February 11, 2026 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.31832/smj.1751489 |
| IZ | https://izlik.org/JA67WZ86MX |
| Published in Issue | Year 2026 Issue: Advanced Online Publication |
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Aiming to establish ethical assurance in scientific periodicals, Sakarya Medical Journal adopts the principles of the "Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors" and the "Code of Conduct for Journal Publishers" published by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). In this scope, the following aspects should be adhered to in the studies submitted to the journal:
• Ethics committee approval should be obtained for research conducted in all the disciplines that require ethics committee approval, and this approval should be stated and documented in the article.
• In studies that require ethics committee approval, information about the approval (committee name, date, and issue number) may be included in the method section of the study. However, in the case of reports, information about the informed consent and the signed consent form should be included in the Article Information Form at the end of the article.
The studies that require ethics committee approval are as follows:
• All kinds of research conducted with qualitative or quantitative approaches that require data collection from participants through surveys, interviews, focus group works, observations, experiments, and other interview techniques.
• Use of humans and animals (including material/data) for experimental or other scientific purposes,
• Clinical studies conducted on humans,
• Studies conducted on animals,
• Retrospective studies in accordance with the law on the protection of personal data,
Also;
• A statement confirming that an "informed consent form" has been received in case reports,
• Obtaining permission from the owners for the use of scales, surveys or photographs belonging to others,
• A statement confirming that copyright regulations are met for the intellectual and artistic works used.
9. Policy of Publishing Additional or Special Issues
A special issue can be published in our journal once a year upon the request of the Editorial Board. The publication processes of the articles sent to be included in the special issue are the same as the standard processes.
1. Additional or Special issue: An issue published in addition to the regular issues of a periodically published journal. It may consist of conference papers or a series of articles focusing on a specific topic.
2. Page numbering in the additional or special issue is different from the regular issues.
3. The print run of the additional or special issue cannot be more than one-third of the regular issue. The special issues containing conference paper abstracts are not included in this scope.
4. Ratios of case reports, compilations, and research articles (excluding conference paper abstracts) published in the additional or special issue will be included in the ratios of articles published in other issues.
5. The issues published as a tribute are not accepted as additional or special issues. Their page numbering and organization are the same as the regular issues.
10. Journal Policies on Data Sharing and Reproducibility
Sakarya University Sakarya Medical Journal strongly recommends author(s) submit supplementary material and data sets that illustrate the results shown in their papers. If any restrictions exist on the side of the author(s), these concerns should be shared with the editorial team during the submission of scientific papers.
Sakarya Medical Journal encourages author(s) to share data and make them publicly available if they do not violate human rights or other privacy issues. Cited data sets, apart from whether they are created by the author(s) or not, should be written in the reference lists of papers. Authors are also recommended to include a data availability statement.
Sakarya Medical Journal encourages all authors to make their data available to share publicly.
Actions that violate scientific research and publication ethics are as follows:
Plagiarism: Showing others' original ideas, methods, data, or works as their own work, partially or completely, without reference to scientific rules,
Forgery: Using data that does not actually exist or has been falsified in scientific research,
Distortion: Falsifying the research records or data obtained, displaying the equipment or materials not used in the research as if used, distorting or shaping the results of the research in the interests of the people and organizations that provide support,
Republishing: Presenting repetitive publications as separate publications in academic appointments and promotions,
Slicing: Dividing the results of research into pieces in an improper way or in a way that disrupts the integrity of the research and publishing each one separately to increase the total publication count for academic appointments and promotions,
Unfair Authorship: Including non-contributors in the author list or not including those who have contributed, changing the author's order in an unjustified and inappropriate manner, removing the names of contributors from the work in subsequent editions, using influence to include names among the authors despite not being contributors,
Other ethical violations include:
a) Not specifying the supporting individuals, institutions or organizations and their contributions in the publications made as a result of research conducted with support.
b) Using theses or studies that have not yet been submitted or have not been accepted as a source without the permission of the owner,
c) Not complying with ethical rules in research on humans and animals, not respecting patients' rights in publications,
ç) Violating the provisions of the relevant legislation in biomedical research and other clinical research related to humans,
d) Sharing the information in a work that has been assigned for review with others before it is published without the explicit consent of the author,
e) Misusing resources, spaces, facilities and equipment provided or allocated for scientific research,
f) Deliberately making a false and ungrounded allegation about ethical violation,
g) Publishing the data obtained from surveys conducted as part of a scientific study without the explicit consent of the participants, or without the permission of the relevant institution if the study is conducted in an institution,
h) Harming animal health and ecological balance in research and experiments,
ı) Failing to obtain written permissions from authorities that are required for starting research activities or experiments,
i) Conducting research activities or experiments in violation of the related legislation or the provisions on research and experiments in the international conventions to which Turkey is a party,
j) Disregarding the obligation to inform and warn the relevant authorities about possible harmful practices related to the scientific research.
k) Not using the data and information obtained from other individuals or institutions in scientific studies to the extent and as permitted, not respecting the confidentiality of this information and not ensuring its protection,
l) Making false or misleading statements regarding scientific research and publications in academic appointments and promotions.
Ethical Guidelines for Authors
• Studies must be original and based on research.
• It must be ensured that all the persons mentioned as authors/co-authors have contributed to the article. It is against scientific ethics to show persons who have not made any academic contribution as additional authors or to rank the authors by non-scientific criteria such as title, age, and gender, regardless of the order of contribution.
• In the articles with multiple authors, it should be clearly stated to what extent the authors have contributed to which stage of the article.
• The article should not be sent to different journals at the same time and should not have been sent to another journal before. If it is found to have been sent to another journal, the publication process will be canceled.
• It is assumed that the authors who submit articles to the journal have read and accepted the publication and writing principles of the journal, and the authors are deemed to have committed to these principles.
• The citations and bibliography should be complete.
• Plagiarism and fake data should be avoided.
• The similarity rate obtained as a result of the similarity checks should not exceed 30% in order to initiate the peer review process.
• An article may be included in a maximum of 2 PRE-REVIEW processes. The article will be rejected if the feedback conveyed to the author is not revised.
• The corresponding author must inform the journal editor in case of any conflict of interest.
This issue can be referred to WAME.
Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers
• Peer reviewers should be aware that they play a critical role in the academic quality of the article to be published in the journal, and they should engage in the peer review process with the responsibility of improving academic quality.
• Peer reviewers should only accept to review articles for which they have the expertise to make an appropriate assessment. They should also respect the confidentiality of the blind peer review process and keep the details of the article confidential at all costs.
• After the review process, any information about the reviewed article should not be shared with others under any circumstances.
• Peer reviewers should only evaluate the accuracy of the content of the articles and their compliance with academic criteria. Any difference of opinions between the article's argument and the peer reviewer should not affect the review process.
• Peer review reports should be objective and measurable. Libelous, derogatory, or accusatory expressions should definitely be avoided.
• Peer reviewers should avoid superficial or inaccurate statements in their peer review reports. In reviews with negative results, a complete justification should be presented on the aspects that led to the negative result.
• Peer reviewers should review the articles within the time period allotted to them. If they are not going to review the article, they should notify the journal within a reasonable time.
• Peer reviewers should identify relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors. Any statement that an observation, derivation, or argument had been previously reported should be accompanied by the relevant citation. A reviewer should also call to the editor's attention any substantial similarity or overlap between the manuscript under consideration and any other published paper of which they have personal knowledge.
Ethical Guidelines for Editors
• Editors should accept articles that will contribute to the relevant areas specified in the journal policy.
• Editors should not have any conflict of interest with accepted or rejected articles.
• Editors have full responsibility and authority to accept or reject an article.
• It is editors' responsibility to keep the names of peer reviewers and authors mutually confidential.
• Only the articles that will contribute to the relevant field should be accepted.
• If an error is detected, editors should support the correction or retraction of the error.
• It is the duty of editors to complete the pre-review, peer review, editing and publishing processes of the articles submitted to the journal in a timely and appropriate manner.
• Editors should not assign people who do not contribute to the journal as editorial board members or associate editors.
2. Publication Policy
Any manuscript that is considered to be published in Sakarya Medical Journal must meet the following criteria:
• Originality
• Not containing ethical violations
• Having clear messages for the scientific community
• Expressing the extent of the article's contributions to researchers in the field and its relevance to social sciences
• Current fields and topics drawing the interest of researchers in the field of health sciences
• Having structural and logical integrity
• Research results that are based on scientific evidence
• Coherence of the scientific method
Review of the Articles
Articles can be submitted to the Sakarya Medical Journal by registering in the "Article Management System" on https://dergipark.org.tr/en/journal/630/submission/step/manuscript/new
Articles sent by e-mail will not be taken into consideration.
Pre-Review and Plagiarism Checking
The journal's compliance with the writing rules is examined and a similarity check is made to prevent plagiarism. Similarity software is used in the checking process. The overall similarity rate should be less than 30%. If the similarity rate is more than 30%, the study is either rejected or sent back to the author to reduce the similarity rate. The pre-review is completed within a maximum of 30 days.
Editor/Field Editor Review
After the study passes the stages of pre-review and similarity checking, it is reviewed by the relevant editor/field editor in terms of subject, scope, language use, and academic competence. This review is completed within a maximum of 30 days.
Peer Review Process (Double-Blind Peer Review)
Studies that pass the pre-review and editorial review undergo a confidential double-blind peer review process. Within the double-blind strategy, the identity of the peer reviewer is concealed from the author submitting publications to the journal. Similarly, the peer reviewers do not know who wrote the article they are reviewing. In other words, the peer review process is conducted by keeping both authors and peer reviewers anonymous to each other. The reports are also stored in the Article Management System.
Author's Revision
Authors take into account the feedback, criticisms, and recommendations of the reviewer and the Editorial Board. In case of any disagreement, they have the right to appeal with their justifications. Authors edit the article as per the reports and upload the final version of the article to the system.
Field Editor Review
The field editor checks whether the author has made the requested corrections in the text. If there is a “Major Revision” requirement in the peer review reports, they send the article to the relevant peer reviewer. If there is an "Acceptance" or "Minor Revision" requirement and the revisions are completed, they can submit the article for language checks (The checking process is completed within a maximum of 7 days.). If they detect that the corrections have not been made, they re-send the article to the author. They may reject the article if the author does not make the corrections again. Articles that are not accepted for publication are not deleted from the system. Their processes and files are stored in the system.
English Language Checks
The checking process is completed within 15 days at the latest.
Editorial Board Review
The articles that pass technical, academic, and linguistic reviews are examined by the Editorial Board, and the final publication status is determined. In case of any objection from the members, the Board decides by a majority of votes.
Typesetting and Layout Process
The journal undertakes the typesetting and layout processes of the studies decided to be published by the Editorial Board.
Language
Sakarya Medical Journal publishes articles written in English.
Change of Authorship
Sakarya Medical Journal accepts article authors according to the statement on the Title Page of the article. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the authors to submit the final version of the full author list. Requests for any change of authorship after the submission of the article (e.g removal/addition of authors, change of order, etc.) are subject to editorial approval. The Editorial Board will investigate such cases and act according to the COPE flowcharts.
Requests for a change of authorship should be conveyed to the Editor with an official letter stating the reasons for the change. The letter should be signed by all the authors and include their confirmation of the change of authorship. If the request is approved by the Editorial Board, the authors are required to submit a new Copyright Agreement Form according to the final author list.
Disclaimer
The opinions expressed in the articles published in the journal are those of the author(s). They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the Sakarya Medical Journal and its Editor-In-Chief, Editorial Board or Publisher. The Editor-in-Chief, Editorial Board, and Publisher assume no responsibility or liability for such cases. The sole responsibility for the published content lies with the authors.
Complaints and Appeals
Sakarya Medical Journal handles complaints and appeals by following the below procedure. Complaints, including but not limited to the long delays in handling studies and publication ethics, are initially handled by the Editor-in-Chief of Sakarya Medical Journal. The Editor-in-Chief examines complaints and appeals together with Area Editors and Editorial Board if applicable. If anything occurs about complaints and appeals please contact sakaryatipdergisi@sakarya.edu.tr.
Complaints about the Content of a Paper
The Editor-in-Chief examines the complaints of the author(s) and the reports of reviewers and make a decision about:
• A fresh opinion from an independent reviewer is needed.
Complaints about Processes
The complaints about processes are handled by the Editor-in-Chief. Long delays in handling studies are examined by editors of Sakarya Medical Journal, and any necessary issues are shared with the Editor-in-Chief. The Editor-in-Chief evaluates the complaints, and when necessary, information is shared with the authors.
Complaints about Ethics
The Editor-in-Chief considers complaints about publication ethics of the author’s or reviewer’s conduct. The editor-in-chief follows the publication ethics on the Sakarya Medical Journal website. The editorial board of Sakarya Medical Journal examines the concerns of complainants or reviewers. The details and progress of the examination are clearly shared with the complainant(s). The Editor-in-Chief or Assistant Editors provide feedback to the complainant(s) on the manner of action and the final decision.
Price Policy
• Sakarya Medical Journal does not request any fees for article submission, reviewing and editing processes, page layout, and publication (page or color fees).
• Sakarya Medical Journal does not pay any fees to authors, reviewers, editors, and editorial board members.
• All papers in Sakarya Medical Journal are free to read and download.
• Sakarya Medical Journal signed on to the Budapest Open Access Initiative (BOAI), which promotes free access to research literature and has adopted the Open Access Principles that are clarified in this initiative.
• All papers in Sakarya Medical Journal are archived with the LOCKSS (Lots Of Copies Keep Stuff Safe) system through TUBITAK ULAKBİM DergiPark.
• Sakarya Medical Journal does not accept announcements, advertisements, sponsorships, etc. due to its publication policy.
• All expenses of Sakarya Medical Journal are covered by Sakarya University.
Indexes
Citation Indexes
Other Indexes
Journal Boards
Baş Editör
Editör Kurulu
Mizanpaj Editörü
Yazım ve Dil Editörü
Ingilizce Dil Editörü
Biyoistatistik Editörü
INDEXING & ABSTRACTING & ARCHIVING
The published articles in SMJ are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.