Binge‐eating disorder in the Swedish national registers: Somatic comorbidity

Abstract

ObjectiveTo evaluate associations between binge‐eating disorder (BED) and somatic illnesses and determine whether medical comorbidities are more common in individuals who present with BED and comorbid obesity.MethodCases (n = 850) were individuals with a BED diagnosis in the Swedish eating disorders quality registers. Ten community controls were matched to each case on sex, and year, month, and county of birth. Associations of BED status with neurologic, immune, respiratory, gastrointestinal, skin, musculoskeletal, genitourinary, circulatory, and endocrine system diseases were evaluated using conditional logistic regression models. We further examined these associations by adjusting for lifetime psychiatric comorbidity. Amongst individuals with BED, we explored whether comorbid obesity was associated with risk of somatic disorders.ResultsBED was associated with most classes of diseases evaluated; strongest associations were with diabetes [odds ratio (95% confidence interval) = 5.7 (3.8; 8.7)] and circulatory systems [1.9 (1.3; 2.7)], likely indexing components of metabolic syndrome. Amongst individuals with BED, those with comorbid obesity were more likely to have a lifetime history of respiratory [1.5 (1.1; 2.1)] and gastrointestinal [2.6 (1.7; 4.1)] diseases than those without comorbid obesity. Increased risk of some somatic disease classes in individuals with BED was not simply due to obesity or other lifetime psychiatric comorbidity.DiscussionThe association of BED with many somatic illnesses highlights the morbidity experienced by individuals with BED. Clinicians treating patients with BED should be vigilant for medical comorbidities. Nonpsychiatric providers may be the first clinical contact for those with BED underscoring the importance of screening in primary care. © 2016 The Authors International Journal of Eating Disorders Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Int J Eat Disord 2017; 50:58–65)

The Science Behind the Academy for Eating Disorders' Nine Truths About Eating Disorders

“…Eating disorders are associated with somatic complications in multiple organ systems including the cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, dermatologic, endocrine, haematological, and neurological systems (Mehler & Brown, ; Mehler & Rylander, ; Thornton et al, ) as well as psychiatric comorbidities (Table S3). The more chronic and severe the eating disorder, the greater the likelihood of serious somatic complications (Westmoreland, Krantz, & Mehler, ).…”

Psychiatric and medical correlates of DSM‐5 eating disorders in a nationally representative sample of adults in the United States

“…Across clinical and larger community or epidemiological studies, EDs have shown significant, albeit highly variable, associations with various medical problems (Javaras et al, 2008;Kessler et al, 2013). One recent study, based on the Swedish population registry, reported that DSM-5 BED was associated with respiratory diseases, endocrine system diseases, musculoskeletal system and connective tissues diseases, and skin diseases (Thornton et al, 2017). One recent study, based on the Swedish population registry, reported that DSM-5 BED was associated with respiratory diseases, endocrine system diseases, musculoskeletal system and connective tissues diseases, and skin diseases (Thornton et al, 2017).…”

Correlates of weight-related quality of life among individuals with binge eating disorder before and after cognitive behavioral therapy

“…A study of individuals with BED and obesity reports poorer scores in WRQOL domains, except physical function, as well as total WRQOL compared to individuals with only obesity (Rieger et al, 2005). Therefore, evidence suggests that having comorbid BED and obesity is associated with greater QOL impairment than having obesity alone, which may be due, in part, to the fact that individuals with BED typically present with high rates of psychiatric disorders (e.g., mood and anxiety disorders), somatic symptoms, and body image concerns (Grilo, White, & Masheb, 2009; Hrabosky, Masheb, White, & Grilo, 2007; Hudson et al, 2017; Thornton et al, 2017). …”