Bone density patterns in women with anorexia nervosa.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to compare various measures of bone mineral density (BMD) in adult anorectics with those of age and gender-matched controls.


METHODS
Twenty Caucasian females with a history of anorexia nervosa and 20 controls were evaluated by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry for lumbar and total body BMD. Regional densities were derived from total body scans.


RESULTS
Anorectics exhibited lower lumbar (p < .001) and total body (p < .001) densities when compared to controls. Correlation analysis revealed significant relationships between total body density and both body mass index (r = .512) and lean body weight (r = .444). Lumbar density correlated poorly with the same two variables. Correlations between illness-related variables and both lumbar and total body BMD failed to reach significance yet lumbar correlations were consistently stronger for age of onset, duration of amenorrhea, and duration of illness. Anorectic regional densities were lower at every site.


CONCLUSIONS
Substandard density may persist in trabecular regions despite nutritional repletion.
Siemers
B
B
Chakmakjian
Z
Z
Gench
B
B
D000328:Adult; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D015519:Bone Density / Q000502:physiology*; D004435:Eating / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D015900:Radiography, Dual-Energy Scanned Projection; D012016:Reference Values