Psychoendocrinology of remenorrhea in the late outcome of anorexia nervosa.
Within a late follow-up of our former anorectic patients 38 consented to an endocrine checkup in addition to clinical and sociopsychologic assessments. Univariate comparisons of still or again amenorrheic patients (n = 22) versus remenorrheic patients (n = 16) showed many significances. However, some of these variables intercorrelated substantially. Therefore, we performed a stepwise discriminant analysis which yielded as the most differentiating variables 'subjective well-being' (24%), follow-up interval (16%), Frisch's 'fat percentage within body weight' (12%) and 'sexual behavior' (5%). As the mean follow-up intervals were 10 versus 6 years, anorectic patients seem to need considerable time for remenorrhea, or rather for the psychosocial-sexual adaptation necessary for it. The equally necessary weight gain does not correlate with the follow-up interval. Then there is a factor which seems to be 'constitutional': Early onset of amenorrhea predicts late nonremenorrhea (3%).
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000568:Amenorrhea / Q000523:psychology*; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001835:Body Weight; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008598:Menstruation; D013223:Statistics as Topic