Bone density patterns in women with anorexia nervosa

✍ Scribed by Siemers, Beverly ;Chakmakjian, Zaven ;Gench, Barbara

• Publisher: Wiley (John Wiley & Sons)
• Year: 1996
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 490 KB
• Volume: 19
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0276-3478
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1098-108x(199603)19:2<179::aid-eat8>3.0.co;2-k

✦ Synopsis

Objective:

The purpose of this study was to compare various measures of bone mineral density (BMD) in adult anorectics with those of age and gender-matched controls. Method: Twenty Caucasian females with a history of anorexia nervosa and 20 controls were evaluated by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry for lumbar and total body BMD. Regional densities were derived from total body scans. Results: Anorectics exhibited lower lumbar (p < .007) and total body (p -= .007) densities when compared to controls.

Correlation analysis revealed significant relationships between total body density and both body mass index (r = ,572) and lean body weight (r = .444). Lumbar density correlated poorly with the same two variables. Correlations between illness-related variables and both lumbar and total body BMD failed to reach significance yet lumbar correlations were consistently stronger for age of onset, duration of amenorrhea, and duration of illness. Anorectic regional densities were lower at every site. Discussion: Substandard density may persist in trabecular regions despite nutritional repletion. 0 7996 by john Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Anorexia nervosa is a psychiatric disorder characterized by severe malnutrition and hormonal dysfunction (Hsu, 1990). Prolonged proteidcalorie deficiency and inadequate calcium intake are frequently accompanied by purgative behaviors such as self-induced vomiting, laxativeldiuretic abuse, and compulsive exercise that culminate in progressive wasting of fat depots and lean body mass. Hormonal disturbances in the hypothalamicpituitary-target axis have been linked directly to the weight loss (Boyer & Katz