Complications of anorexia nervosa

Almost half of people who have anorexia nervosa will eventually develop symptoms (binge-purge behaviors) of another eating disorder called bulimia nervosa.¹

Long-term or severe anorexia also can cause serious medical complications, such as:²

• Osteoporosis, which results from a lack of calcium in the diet as well as too much cortisol and too little estrogen in the body. The teenage years are critical bone-building years.
• Joint injuries, from too much exercise.
• Fractures, which are common in female athletes who have an eating disorder and also have osteoporosis and irregular menstrual cycles (known as the female athlete triad).
• Anemia.
• Kidney function problems, often caused by ongoing dehydration or abuse of laxatives.
• Heart problems such as a slow or irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) and low blood pressure (hypotension).
• Cavities or tooth decay.

If left untreated, many of these conditions can lead to death. Up to 15% of people who have anorexia will eventually die from complications of malnutrition or from suicide.³ However, restoring healthy eating habits and good nutrition can reverse many of the complications of anorexia.⁴

Citations

1. Mehler PS (2001). Diagnosis and care of patients with anorexia nervosa in primary care settings. Annals of Internal Medicine, 134(11): 1048-1059.

2. Gwirtsman HE, Ebert MH (2000). Eating disorders. In MH Ebert et al., eds., Current Diagnosis and Treatment in Psychiatry, pp. 421-429. New York: McGraw-Hill.

3. Herzog DB, et al. (2000). Mortality in eating disorders: A descriptive study. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 28(1): 20-26.

4. Fairburn CG, Harrison PJ (2003). Eating disorders. Lancet, 361(9355): 407-416.