Chest pain in anorexia nervosa

✍ Scribed by Birmingham, Carl Laird ;Stigant, Caroline ;Goldner, Elliot Michael

• Publisher: Wiley (John Wiley & Sons)
• Year: 1999
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 133 KB
• Volume: 25
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0276-3478
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1098-108x(199903)25:2<219::aid-eat11>3.0.co;2-b

✦ Synopsis

Objective:

To determine the incidence and characteristics of chest pain in patients with anorexia nervosa.

Method:

A cross-sectional survey of 54 patients. a pain history according to a diagnostic algorithm that was constructed from a medline search (1966-1996) was used.

Results:

Eighty-seven percent of patients had experienced chest pain. the most common diagnosis was idiopathic, occurring in 38% of participants. the incidence of typical and atypical angina was 11% and 9%, respectively. increasing age, smoking history, and a family history of chest pain were more common in those with the atypical or typical angina.

Conclusions:

Chest pain is a common symptom in patients with eating disorders, and the incidence of typical and atypical angina is surprisingly high. all patients with eating disorders should be screened for chest pain and other risk factors for coronary heart disease.