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
References
Citations
Mehler PS (2001). Diagnosis and care of patients with anorexia nervosa in primary care settings. Annals of Internal Medicine, 134(11): 1048–1059.
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.
Herzog DB, et al. (2000). Mortality in eating disorders: A descriptive study. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 28(1): 20–26.
Fairburn CG, Harrison PJ (2003). Eating disorders. Lancet, 361(9355): 407–416.
Credits
| Author | Jeannette Curtis |
| Editor | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA |
| Associate Editor | Pat Truman, MATC |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | W. Stewart Agras, MD - Psychiatry |
| Last Updated | September 25, 2007 |
