Association of Bulimia Nervosa With Long-term Risk of Cardiovascular Disease and Mortality Among Women.

Importance: Bulimia nervosa is associated with short-term cardiovascular complications in women, but its long-term consequences on cardiovascular health are unknown. Objective: To study the association of bulimia nervosa with the long-term risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality in women. Design, Setting, and Participants: In this longitudinal cohort study, 416 709 women hospitalized in Quebec, Canada, including women hospitalized for bulimia nervosa and those for pregnancy-related events as a comparison group, were followed up for 12 years from 2006 to 2018 to identify incidences of cardiovascular disease and death. Exposures: At least 1 hospitalization for bulimia nervosa. Main Outcomes and Measures: The study participants were followed up to identify future incidences of cardiovascular disease and deaths. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs to assess the association of bulimia nervosa with future outcomes after adjustment for patient characteristics. Results: The study population comprised 818 women who were hospitalized for bulimia nervosa (mean [SD] age, 28.3 [13.4] years) and 415 891 hospitalized for pregnancy-related events (mean [SD] age, 28.3 [5.4] years). Patients were followed up for a total of 2 957 677 person-years. The women hospitalized for bulimia nervosa had a greater incidence of cardiovascular disease compared with those hospitalized for pregnancy-related events (10.34 [95% CI, 7.77-13.76] vs 1.02 [95% CI, 0.99-1.06] per 1000 person-years). Incidence of future cardiovascular disease was even higher for women with 3 or more bulimia admissions (25.13 [95% CI, 13.52-46.70] per 1000 person-years). Women hospitalized for bulimia nervosa had 4.25 (95% CI, 2.98-6.07) times the risk of any cardiovascular disease and 4.72 (95% CI, 2.05-10.84) times the risk of death compared with women hospitalized for pregnancy-related events. Bulimia nervosa was found to be associated with ischemic heart disease (HR, 6.63; 95% CI, 3.34-13.13), atherosclerosis (HR, 6.94; 95% CI, 3.08-15.66), and cardiac conduction defects (HR, 2.99; 95% CI, 1.57-5.71). Bulimia was also associated with 21.93 (95% CI, 9.29-51.74) times the risk of myocardial infarction at 2 years of follow-up and 14.13 (95% CI, 6.02-33.18) times the risk at 5 years of follow-up. Conclusions and Relevance: This study's findings suggest that bulimia nervosa may be associated with the long-term risk of any cardiovascular disease, such as ischemic cardiac events and conduction disorders, as well as with death among women. The findings also suggest that women with a history of bulimia nervosa should be screened regularly for ischemic cardiovascular disease and may benefit from prevention of and treatment for cardiovascular risk factors.

Medical Complications of Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa.

Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are mental illnesses with associated complications affecting all body systems with arguably the highest mortality of all mental health disorders. A comprehensive medical evaluation is an essential first step in the treatment of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Weight restoration and cessation of purging behaviors are often essential components in the management of medical complications of these illnesses.

Psychiatric comorbidity as a risk factor for the mortality of people with bulimia nervosa.

BACKGROUND: Bulimia nervosa (BN) is associated with increased mortality. Frequent comorbidities of BN include substance use disorders, affective disorders and personality disorders (PD). These comorbidities may add an additional risk for mortality. METHODS: We investigated the influence of these psychiatric comorbidities on all-cause mortality with demographic and socioeconomic factors considered as confounders over an observation period from January 2007 to March 2016 for 1501 people with BN using anonymised health records data from the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM), retrieved through its Clinical Records Interactive Search (CRIS) data resource. Mortality was ascertained through monthly linkages to the nationwide tracing system administered by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). We used Cox proportional hazards regression to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Multivariable analyses were also performed to estimate effects when controlling for confounding of age, sex, ethnicity, borough, marital status and deprivation score. RESULTS: A total of 18 patients with BN died during the observation period. The standardised mortality ratio (SMR) for our study cohort (against the population of England and Wales in 2012 as a standard) was 2.52 (95% CI 1.49-3.97). Cox regressions revealed significant associations of mortality with older age and male gender. Comorbid PD (HR: 3.36; 95% CI 1.05-10.73) was significantly associated with all-cause mortality, even after controlling for demographic and socioeconomic covariates. CONCLUSIONS: These results highlight increased mortality in patients with BN and the importance of recognising and treating PDs in patients with BN.

Funen Anorexia Nervosa Study - a follow-up study on outcome, mortality, quality of life and body composition.

Eating disorders (EDs) comprise a wide range of symptoms, with severe psychological and physical implications for the patient. EDs include anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN) and until 2013 eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS), if criteria for AN or BN were not met. Patients suffering from an ED have poor prognosis, with more than half of AN patients not obtaining complete remission. One-fifth develops a chronic disease. EDs have an increased risk of premature death and patients with EDs report poorer quality of life (QoL) compared to both the general population and other psychiatric/somatic diseases. Patients who, apparently, obtain complete remission will still be affected in QoL when compared to a healthy reference group. Treatment is complicated by high drop-out rates, hence making large retrospective follow-up studies difficult to conduct. The multiple endocrine disturbances as a result of the severe malnourishment in AN often result in amenorrhea and a weight goal for remenorrhea has been ambiguous. This thesis encompasses results from four studies examining the abovementioned challenges and is based on a large retrospective cohort of ED patients referred to a highly specialized ED treatment unit. Study 1: QoL in EDs was reported for a large retrospective Danish cohort. Furthermore, meta-analysis on existing published literature was performed to determine potential differences between the diagnostic groups. QoL in EDs was significantly decreased compared to the general population and no difference between the diagnostic groups was established. Study 2: ED pathology (measured by the Eating Disorder Inventory - 2 (EDI-2)) and outcome (measured by the Morgan Russell Outcome Schedule (MROS)) was reported for a large retrospective Danish cohort. The correlation between the patient-reported measurements (SF-36 & EDI-2) and clinician-assessed characteristics (BMI and remission status) was investigated in a group of ED patients (n=383). A high association between EDI scores and BMI was observed in AN and EDNOS, despite remission status, representing an increase in symptomatology with increasing BMI. This was not present in BN. We found no association between HRQoL and BMI in any of the diagnostic groups. Study 3:  Mortality rates were calculated in a large group of ED patients (n=998) including AN, BN and EDNOS with a long follow-up time. We found a SMR of 2.9 for AN, which was considerably lower than previous published results. We compared the results to data from the same catchment area published prior to the establishment of a multidisciplinary ED center. Patients with EDs had a significantly increased risk of premature death compared to the general population; however the mortality rates had decreased since the formation of the ED unit. Study 4: The association between body composition measures and amenorrhea was studied in a cohort of adult patients with a history of AN (n=113) and predicted probabilities for the resumption of menses was determined. We found a high association between DXA scans and BMI in predicting the resumption of menses. Half of the patients were predicted to resume their menstrual status at BMI 19/fat percentage 23, however at BMI 14/fat percentage 11 still 25% of patients were predicted to resume their menses.

Mortality in eating disorders - results of a large prospective clinical longitudinal study.

OBJECTIVE: To report on long-term mortality in anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), binge eating disorder (BED), and eating disorder not otherwise specified (ED-NOS), causes of death, and predictors of early death. METHOD: A large sample of consecutively admitted inpatients (N = 5,839) was followed-up on vital status through the German civil registry office. Of these patients 1,639 were treated for AN, 1,930 for BN, 363 for BED, and 1,907 for ED-NOS. Data from the main inpatient hospital treatment were applied to bivariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses on survival time from onset of eating disorder to death or end of observation. Standardized mortality ratios (SMR) were computed matched for age, gender, and person-years. RESULTS: SMR were 5.35 for AN, 1.49 for BN, 1.50 for BED, 2.39 for narrowly defined ED-NOS, and 1.70 for widely defined ED-NOS. Patients with AN died earlier than patients with BN, BED, or ED-NOS who did not differ. A diagnosis of AN, chronicity, later age of onset, not living in a relationship, and an irregular type of discharge from index inpatient treatment were major predictors of a shorter time to death. Suicidality was a univariate predictor of a shorter time to death in BN only. AN patients mostly died from natural causes related to their eating disorder. DISCUSSION: Mortality in AN is excessive and considerably higher than in BN, BED, and ED-NOS.

Does specialization of treatment influence mortality in eating disorders?--A comparison of two retrospective cohorts.

Eating disorders (EDs) are psychiatric disorders associated with high morbidity and mortality. It is well established that patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) have an increased risk of premature death, whereas mortality data are lacking for the other EDs. This study aimed to establish mortality rates in a sample of ED patients (n=998) with a mean follow-up of 12 years. This was compared to previous data from the same catchment area before a multidisciplinary centre was established. The standardized mortality ratio (SMR) was calculated. To compare the two cohorts, adjusted crude ratios were calculated with the confounding variables: body mass index (BMI), age at referral and diagnosis. In the latest cohort the SMR for AN was 2.89 vs 11.16 in the time before our specialization. SMR for bulimia nervosa (BN) and for eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS) in the latest cohort were 2.37 and 1.14 respectively. When comparing two retrospective cohorts it is not possible to draw a definite conclusion, however the present study supports that integrating a somatic unit in a multidisciplinary centre may have a favourable influence on mortality in AN.

Suicidal behavior in adolescents and adults with bulimia nervosa.

BACKGROUND: Recent evidence suggests increased risk for mortality in bulimia nervosa (BN). However, little is yet known about suicidal behavior in BN. AIMS: To examine frequency and correlates of suicidal ideation and attempts in adolescents and adults with BN in two population-based samples. METHOD: A total of 10,123 adolescents and 2980 adults in two nationally representative surveys of mental disorder were queried regarding eating disorder symptoms and suicidal ideation and attempts. RESULTS: Less than 1 percent (0.9%) of adolescents and 1.0% of adults met the criteria for BN. Suicidal ideation was more common among adolescents with BN (53.0%) compared with those with binge eating disorder (BED) (34.4%), other psychopathology (21.3%) or no psychopathology (3.8%). Similar trends emerged for the association between BN and self-reported suicidal plans or attempts. Among adults, suicidality was more common in BN than in the no psychopathology group, but not significantly different from the anorexia nervosa (AN), BED, or other psychopathology subgroups. CONCLUSION: There is a high risk of suicidal ideation and behavior among those with BN. These results underscore the importance of addressing suicide risk in adolescents and adults with eating disorder symptoms.

Mortality following hospital discharge with a diagnosis of eating disorder: national record linkage study, England, 2001-2009.

OBJECTIVE: To calculate mortality of people with eating disorders (ED) in England, relative to that of people of the same age and sex, between 2001 and 2009. We were specifically interested in mortality amongst adolescents and young adults (15-24 years), and older adults (25-44 years). METHOD: We analyzed a NHS Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) dataset for all England, linked to death registrations, to calculate age- and sex-specific discharge rates for people with a diagnosis of ED and their subsequent mortality by one year after discharge. RESULTS: The standardized mortality ratio (SMR) for adolescents and young adults with a diagnosis of ED was 7.8 (95% confidence interval: 4.4-11.2). This compares with an SMR for people of the same age with schizophrenia of 10.2 (8.3-12.2), with bipolar disorder of 3.6 (1.1-6.1, and with depression of 4.5 (3.6-5.3). Of the ED, the SMR for anorexia nervosa (AN) in people aged 15-24 was 11.5 (6.0-17.0), for bulimia nervosa (BN) was 4.1 (0-8.7), and eating disorders not otherwise specified (ED NOS) was 1.4 (0-4.0). For older adults aged 25-44 years, the SMR for ED was 10.7 (7.7-13.6). Specifically, for AN was 14.0 (9.2-18.8), for BN was 7.7 (3.5-11.9), and ED NOS was 4.7 (1.4-8.0), for schizophrenia was 7.3 (6.6-7.9), for bipolar disorder was 4.3 (3.5-5.1) and for depression was 4.9 (4.6-5.3). No deaths were recorded below 15 years of age. DISCUSSION: This study confirms the high SMR associated with ED, notably with anorexia and bulimia.

Suicide attempts and mortality in eating disorders: a follow-up study of eating disorder patients.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to explore the prevalence of hospital-treated suicide attempts in a large clinical population of eating disorder patients. METHOD: Follow-up study of adults (N=2462, 95% women, age 18-62 years) admitted to the Eating Disorder Clinic of Helsinki University Central Hospital in the period 1995-2010. For each patient, four controls were selected and matched for age, sex and place of residence. The end point events were modeled using Cox's proportional hazard model, taking matching into account. RESULTS: We identified 156 patients with eating disorder (6.3%) and 139 controls (1.4%) who had required hospital treatment for attempted suicide. Of them, 66 (42.3%) and 37 (26.6%) had more than one attempt. The rate ratio (RR) for suicide attempt in patients with eating disorder was 4.70 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.41-15.74]. In anorexia nervosa, RR was 8.01 (95% CI 5.40-11.87), and in bulimia nervosa, it was 5.08 (95% CI 3.46-7.42). In eating disorder patients with a history of suicide attempt, the risk of death from any cause was 12.8%, suicide being the main cause in 45% of the deaths. CONCLUSION: Suicide attempts and repeated attempts are common among patients with eating disorders. Suicidal ideation should be routinely assessed from patients with eating disorders.

Effective treatment of eating disorders: Results at multiple sites.

We report the results of a study based on 1,428 patients with eating disorders treated at 6 clinics. These patients were consecutively referred over 18 years and used inpatient and outpatient treatment. The subjects were diagnosed with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, or an eating disorder not otherwise specified. Patients practiced a normal eating pattern with computerized feedback technology, they were supplied with external heat, their physical activity was reduced, and their social habits restored to allow them to return to their normal life. The estimated rate of remission for this therapy was 75% after a median of 12.5 months of treatment. A competing event such as the termination of insurance coverage, or failure of the treatment, interfered with outcomes in 16% of the patients, and the other patients remained in treatment. Of those who went in remission, the estimated rate of relapse was 10% over 5 years of follow-up and there was no mortality. These data replicate the outcomes reported in our previous studies and they compare favorably with the poor long-term remission rates, the high rate of relapse, and the high mortality rate reported with standard treatments for eating disorders.

Mortality in eating disorders: a follow-up study of adult eating disorder patients treated in tertiary care, 1995-2010.

Elevated mortality risk in anorexia nervosa has been established, but less is known about the outcomes of bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder. In this follow-up study we determined mortality in adults (N=2450, 95% women) admitted to the eating disorder clinic of the Helsinki University Central Hospital in the period 1995-2010. Most of the patients (80.7%) were outpatients. For each patient four controls were selected and matched for age, sex and place of residence. The matching was taken into account by modelling end-point events using Cox's proportional hazard model. The hazard ratio (HR) for all-cause mortality was 6.51 (95% CI 3.46-12.26) in broad anorexia nervosa (AN), 2.97 (95% CI 1.90-4.65) in broad bulimia nervosa (BN), and 1.77 (95% CI 0.60-5.27) in binge eating disorder (BED). Mortality risk in broad AN was highest during the first years after admission but declined thereafter, while in broad BN the mortality risk started to rise two years after the first admission. The HR for suicide was elevated both in broad AN (HR 5.07; 95% CI 1.37-18.84) and in broad BN (HR 6.07; 95% CI 2.47-14.89). Results show that eating disorders are associated with increased mortality risk even when specialised treatment is available.

A longitudinal investigation of mortality in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.

OBJECTIVE Although anorexia nervosa has a high mortality rate, our understanding of the timing and predictors of mortality in eating disorders is limited. The authors investigated mortality in a long-term study of patients with eating disorders. METHOD Beginning in 1987, 246 treatment-seeking female patients with anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa were interviewed every 6 months for a median of 9.5 years to obtain weekly ratings of eating disorder symptoms, comorbidity, treatment participation, and psychosocial functioning. From January 2007 to December 2010 (median follow-up of 20 years), vital status was ascertained with a National Death Index search. RESULTS Sixteen deaths (6.5%) were recorded (lifetime anorexia nervosa, N=14; bulimia nervosa with no history of anorexia nervosa, N=2). The standardized mortality ratio was 4.37 (95% CI=2.4-7.3) for lifetime anorexia nervosa and 2.33 (95% CI=0.3-8.4) for bulimia nervosa with no history of anorexia nervosa. Risk of premature death among patients with lifetime anorexia nervosa peaked within the first 10 years of follow-up, resulting in a standardized mortality ratio of 7.7 (95% CI=3.7-14.2). The standardized mortality ratio varied by duration of illness and was 3.2 (95% CI=0.9-8.3) for patients with lifetime anorexia nervosa for 0 to 15 years (4/119 died), and 6.6 (95% CI=3.2-12.1) for those with lifetime anorexia nervosa for >15 to 30 years (10/67 died). Multivariate predictors of mortality included alcohol abuse, low body mass index, and poor social adjustment. CONCLUSIONS These findings highlight the need for early identification and intervention and suggest that a long duration of illness, substance abuse, low weight, and poor psychosocial functioning raise the risk for mortality in anorexia nervosa.

Mortality and its predictors in severe bulimia nervosa patients.

BACKGROUND: The risk of mortality remains unclear for bulimia nervosa (BN) patients, especially the most severe. The aims of this study were to improve knowledge on BN and mortality. METHODS: With initial evaluation at admission, 258 BN (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition) consecutive inpatients were included (1988-2004). Vital status was established from the French national register. Standardized Mortality Ratio (SMR) calculation and bivariate Cox analysis were performed for the hypothesised predictors of mortality. RESULTS: Mean follow-up duration was 10.5 years. Ten deaths were recorded, and the crude mortality ratio was 3.9%; SMR = 5.52 [CI95 (2.64-10.15)]. The majority of deaths were from suicide [6/10, SMR = 30.9 (5.7-68.7)]. The mean age at time of death was 29.6 years. Predictive factors were previous suicide attempt and low minimum BMI. CONCLUSIONS: Severe BN patients are at higher risk of death (mainly suicide) especially if previous suicide attempt or previous low BMI. More studies are needed to confirm these results.

Dying to be thin. Your guide to today's mental health issues.

With increased awareness of under 12s, as well as older children, developing serious eating disorders there is an urgent need for early recognition and treatment, as Dr Agnes Ayton explains.

Update on course and outcome in eating disorders.

OBJECTIVE: To review recent studies describing eating disorder course and outcome. METHOD: Electronic and manual searches were conducted to identify relevant articles published since 2004. RESULTS: Twenty-six articles were identified. For anorexia nervosa (AN), most patients ascertained through outpatient settings achieved remission by 5-year follow-up. Inpatient treatment predicted poor prognosis as inpatient samples demonstrated lower remission rates. Outcome differed between bulimia nervosa (BN) and eating disorders not otherwise specified (EDNOS), including binge eating disorder (BED), for shorter follow-up durations; however, outcomes appeared similar between BN and related EDNOS by 5-year follow-up. Greater psychiatric comorbidity emerged as a significant predictor of poor prognosis in BN, whereas few prognostic indicators were identified for BED or other EDNOS. DISCUSSION: Results support optimism for most patients with eating disorders. However, more effective treatments are needed for adult AN inpatients and approximately 30% of patients with BN and related EDNOS who remain ill 10-20 years following presentation.

Course and outcome of eating disorders in a primary care-based cohort.

OBJECTIVE: To study the course and outcome of patients with eating disorder detected in primary care. METHOD: General practitioners (GP's) provided information on the course and outcome of eating disorders in patients (n = 147) diagnosed with anorexia nervosa (AN) or bulimia nervosa (BN) identified during a Dutch nationwide primary care-based incidence study. The research team determined the outcome based on the data provided by the GP's. The mean duration of the follow-up was 4.8 years. RESULTS: About 57% of the patients initially diagnosed with AN and 61% of those diagnosed with BN were fully recovered. AN binge/purge subtype (ANBP) demonstrated the most extended median survival time of all diagnostic subgroups (the point at which half of the group has reached full recovery). Diagnostic crossover was low. A younger age at detection predicted recovery at outcome for AN and BN. One patient (AN) died. DISCUSSION: The results of this study on differences in outcome and low crossover support the diagnostic distinction between AN and BN in the DSM-IV. Early detection is of major importance for a favorable outcome.