Correction to: Bone metabolism in patients with anorexia nervosa and amenorrhoea.

Unfortunately, the sixth author name was incorrectly spelled as "S. Fassio" instead of "A. Fassio" in the original publication.

Physical performance measures in screening for reduced lean body mass in adult females with obesity.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Little is known about the reduction of lean body mass (LBM) in obesity, or how to identify it in standard clinical settings. We therefore aimed to assess the prevalence of low LBM in adult females with obesity, and to identify the reliability of simple tools for its screening in this population. METHODS AND RESULTS: Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) body composition assessment was used to categorise 147 female participants with obesity as with or without low LBM, according to the new definition that takes into account both appendicular lean mass (ALM) and body mass index (BMI)-ALM/BMI <0.512. Participants were also administered the six-minute walking test, handgrip-strength test and 4-metre gait-speed test. Of the sample of 147 participants, 93 (63.3%) met the criteria for reduced LBM. Stepwise multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the six-minute walking test was the only independent test associated with low LBM (OR = 0.992, 95%CI 0.987-0.998). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis found that the discriminating cut-off points of the tests considered were 470 m, 3.30 s (gait speed = 1.2 m/sec) and 23.5 kg respectively; the 4-metre gait-speed test seems to provide the best balance of sensitivity and specificity, and the greatest discriminatory power at 90% sensitivity. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment-seeking adult females with obesity display a great prevalence of reduced LBM. The six-minute walking test was the only independent test associated with low LBM, but the 4-metre gait-speed test seems to be the most accurate functional test for screening for this condition in that population.

Bone metabolism in patients with anorexia nervosa and amenorrhoea.

PURPOSE: Aim of this study is focusing on bone metabolism in AN patients with amenorrhoea and related estrogen deficiency effects. METHODS: AN patients were compared both with healthy females and with postmenopausal women (reference model for estrogen deficiency). The study sample included 81 females with AN. Laboratory tests [25-OH vitamin D, bone turnover markers, intact parathyroid hormone, sclerostin (SOST) and dickkopf-related protein (DKK1)] and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) were taken into account. RESULTS: AN patients had higher levels of C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (CTX) than both control groups. AN adolescents had CTX higher than AN young adults. In postmenopausal women, intact N-propeptide of type I collagen was higher if compared with each other group. In AN groups, Dickkopf-related protein 1 was significantly lower than the two control groups. No differences were found in sclerostin except in adolescents. In AN adolescents, DXA values at femoral sites were higher than in AN young adults and a positive correlation was found with body weight (p < 0.01) and with fat mass evaluated using DXA (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: AN women with amenorrhoea have an increased bone resorption like postmenopausal women but bone formation is depressed. The consequent remodeling uncoupling is considerably more severe than that occurring after menopause.

Body fat and menstrual resumption in adult females with anorexia nervosa: a 1-year longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND: The variables predicting the resumption of menses in anorexia nervosa (AN) after weight restoration have not yet been fully established. We therefore aimed to investigate the association between several clinical parameters at inpatient discharge and the resumption of menses at 1-year follow-up in weight-restored adults with AN. METHODS: Demographic, anthropometric, body composition and eating disorder features were assessed in 54 adult females with AN who had restored normal body weight [body mass index (BMI) ≥ 18.5 kg m(-) ²] at the end of specialist inpatient treatment. These variables were compared between participants who had resumed menses and those who were still amenorrheic 1 year after inpatient discharge. RESULTS: At 1-year follow-up, 35.2% of patients had resumed menstruation. No significant association was found between the resumption of menses and either age, duration of illness or BMI at inpatient admission, nor for BMI, global Eating Disorder Examination score or trunk fat percentage at inpatient discharge. Only total body fat percentage at inpatient discharge was significantly higher in patients who resumed menstruation, as confirmed by combined logistic regression analysis (odds ratio = 1.14, 95% confidence interval = 1.001-1.303, P = 0.049). CONCLUSIONS: A higher total body fat percentage at inpatient discharge is associated with the resumption of menses at 1-year follow-up in weight-restored adult females with AN.

Body mass index, body fat and risk factor of relapse in anorexia nervosa.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Preliminary studies have reported an association between poor long-term outcome and lower total body fat percentage in weight-restored inpatients treated for anorexia nervosa (AN). A possible link between poor long-term outcome and higher trunk fat percentage has also been hypothesized. The aim was to assess the association between percentage and distribution of body fat at inpatient discharge and the maintenance of normal weight at 1-year follow-up in a sample of weight-restored females with AN. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Fifty-four short-term weight-restored (body mass index (BMI; in kg/m(2)) ⩾18.5) adult females with AN treated in a specialist inpatient unit underwent dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry to determine total body fat and trunk fat percentages. Patients were contacted regularly following discharge, and at the end of the year clinical outcome was dichotomized as either 'full, good or fair' (a group that includes individuals with a BMI ⩾18.5 kg/m(2)) or 'poor' (BMI<18.5 kg/m(2)), using the modified Morgan-Russell criteria. RESULTS: No significant differences were found between 'full, good or fair' and 'poor' outcome groups in either total body fat or trunk fat percentages. Only lower BMI at inpatient discharge was associated with poor clinical outcome in the year following inpatient treatment. CONCLUSIONS: In short-term weight-restored adult females with AN, BMI, but not body fat percentage or distribution, at inpatient discharge is associated with long-term normal weight maintenance.

Personality, attrition and weight loss in treatment seeking women with obesity.

Studies on small samples or in single units applying specific treatment programmes found an association between some personality traits and attrition and weight loss in individuals treated for obesity. We aimed to investigate whether pre-treatment personality traits were associated with weight loss outcomes in the general population of women with obesity. Attrition and weight loss outcomes after 12 months were measured in 634 women with obesity (mean age, 48; body mass index (BMI), 37.8 kg m(-2)) seeking treatment at eight Italian medical centres, applying different medical/cognitive behavioural programmes. Personality traits were assessed with the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), eating disorder features with the Binge Eating Scale (BES) and Night Eating Questionnaire (NEQ). Within the 12-month observation period, 32.3% of cases were lost to follow-up. After adjustment for demographic confounders and the severity of eating disorders, no TCI personality traits were significantly associated with attrition, while low scores of the novelty seeking temperament scale remained significantly associated with weight loss ≥ 10% (odds ratio, 0.983; 95% confidence interval, 0.975-0.992). Additional adjustment for education and job did not change the results. We conclude that personality does not systematically influence attrition in women with obesity enrolled into weight loss programmes in the community, whereas an association is maintained between novelty seeking and weight loss outcome. Studies adapting obesity interventions on the basis of individual novelty seeking scores might be warranted to maximize the results on body weight.

Physical fitness before and after weight restoration in anorexia nervosa.

AIM: The aims of this paper were: 1) to evaluate the feasibility of test for evaluating physical fitness (PF) in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN); 2) to investigate the effects of nutritional rehabilitation in this population of patients; and 3) to compare their level of fitness scores (at baseline and after weight restoration) with an age-matched healthy control group. METHODS: PF was assessed with an adapted version of the Eurofit Physical Fitness Test Battery (EPFTB) administered to 37 consecutive female AN patients, at baseline and after weight restoration, and to 57 healthy age-matched females. RESULTS: The inpatient treatment, based on cognitive behavior therapy, was associated with a significant improvement in BMI (from 14.5±1.5 to 18.8±1.1, P<0.001) and in 5 out of 6 EPFTB tests (P<0.05) in the AN group. However, both in pre and post, AN patients showed significant lower EPFTB than the control group (all P<0.001) with the exception of the Sit-Up score. CONCLUSION: Results indicated that PF is lower in AN patients than in controls both at baseline and after weight restoration. Future studies should evaluate if the inclusion of an individualized health-enhancing physical activity program might improve the restoration of physical fitness.