Hypothalamic amenorrhea and hidden nutritional insults.
OBJECTIVE
We examined whether abnormal nutrition is an associated event in idiopathic hypothalamic amenorrhea.


METHODS
Eighteen amenorrheic subjects were compared to 36 normal controls using endocrine, nutritional, and psychological evaluations.


RESULTS
Controls were closer to their ideal weight (97.2 versus 89.7%; P < .05) than amenorrheics despite similar ages and heights. Amenorrheics denied eating disorders; however, our evaluation showed more eating disorders (55 versus 26%; P < .05), higher scores on a scale of eating behavior (22.28 versus 10.36; P < .001), twice as much fiber intake (26.14 versus 14.69 g/day) and less fat intake (20.7 versus 27.10 g/day) (P < .001), more aerobic activity (85 versus 58%) despite expending fewer calories per day (2303.7 versus 2576.7 kcal/day; P < .05), and similar caloric intake.


CONCLUSIONS
Significant abnormalities suggest that a greater percentage of hypothalamic amenorrhea occurs on a nutritional basis than previously suspected and should be searched for in depth.
Warren
M P
MP
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital, New York, New York, USA.
Holderness
C C
CC
Lesobre
V
V
Tzen
R
R
Vossoughian
F
F
Brooks-Gunn
J
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000568:Amenorrhea / Q000209:etiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007027:Hypothalamic Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D009748:Nutrition Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D012016:Reference Values