Persistent osteopenia after recovery from anorexia nervosa

Abstract

Objective Osteopenia is a known complication of anorexia nervosa. Most studies have focused on the features of the illness which predict bone complications. The few reports on recovery have been conflicting, with some studies suggesting restoration of normal bone mass with recovery from anorexia nervosa, while others suggest that the improvement may only be partial. This is the first report of bone density in a long‐term recovered group. Method: We measured bone density in the hip and lumbar spine in 18 recovered women, using dual energy X‐ray absorptiometry. Results: We found an unexpectedly high incidence of osteopenia, with 14 of 18 women affected. Duration of amenorrhea was the best predictor of reduced bone density. An index of the duration of recovery, relating it to the duration of illness, was also highly correlated with outcome. Discussion: Our findings have implications, both for the individual and for the economic burden to society. We suggest that the use of oral contraceptives in women recovering from anorexia nervosa needs further investigation. Additional longitudinal studies are clearly warranted. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 22: 71–75, 1997.

Neuropsychological study of underweight and “weight‐recovered” anorexia nervosa compared with bulimia nervosa and normal controls

“…We undertook a cross-sectional study to compare aspects of executive, memory, and visuospatial functioning of underweight DSM-IV 41 AN, ''weightrecovered'' AN (history of DSM-IV AN and BMI [18.5 kg/m 2 for at least 3 months) 42,43 and DSM-IV BN with NC participants. We hypothesized that any neuropsychological impairments in underweight AN would be present in ''weight-recovered'' patients, and that direct comparison of AN and BN would reveal different patterns of cognitive deficits.…”

The effects of intense exercise on the female reproductive system

“…Nutritional deprivation in amenorrheic anorectics has been shown to negatively affect attainment of normal skeletal mass (Ward et al 1997). Additionally, restrictive eating habits have been positively correlated with the incidence of stress fractures among dancers.…”

High risk of osteoporosis in male patients with eating disorders

“…The clinical risk factors for low bone density in women with an eating disorder are weight loss, length of ill-ness, and duration of amenorrhea. [7][8][9][10] Since there are a paucity of studies addressing osteoporosis in males with eating disorders, the purposes of this study are as follows: (1) to investigate BMD in male patients with eating disorders and document their severity of bone loss, (2) compare BMD in male patients with eating disorder versus females, (3) and identify factors that contribute to BMD reduction in males.…”