title: The effect of bulimia nervosa on plasma glucose and lipids.
abstract: This analysis examined changes in plasma lipids and glucose after 3 years in women treated for bulimia nervosa (BN). One hundred and thirty-five women aged 17-45 years with DSM-III-R BN entered a 12-week cognitive behavioral therapy treatment programme. Prior to and 3 years after treatment, patients completed psychiatric and behavioral assessments and fasting blood samples were drawn. At 3-year follow-up, 105 women were available, 67.6% of whom had no eating disorder and 32.4% of whom had any eating disorder (16.2% with eating disorder not otherwise specified and 16.2% with BN). Women with no eating disorder diagnosis at 3-year follow-up experienced a significant mean decrease in plasma glucose from pretreatment to 3-year follow-up compared to those with any eating disorder diagnosis. Eating disorder diagnosis at 3-year follow-up was independently associated with change in plasma glucose when potential confounders were adjusted for. Plasma triglyceride concentrations did not change in the group as a whole. Plasma HDL-cholesterol increased and total cholesterol decreased significantly from pretreatment to 3-year follow-up in the group as a whole. The decrease in serum cholesterol was significant in women with no eating disorder, but not in the women with any eating disorder diagnosis at 3-year follow-up. We conclude that a protracted course of BN may result in clinically insignificant increases in glucose concentrations and may attenuate the decrease in total cholesterol that is observed in women who recover from BN.
authors.affiliation: University Department of Psychological Medicine, Christchurch School of Medicine, University of Otago, PO Box 4345, Christchurch, New Zealand. genke350@student.otago.ac.nz
authors.forename: Kelly A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Gendall
authors.forename: Peter R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Joyce
authors.forename: Frances A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Carter
authors.forename: Virginia V
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: McIntosh
authors.forename: Cynthia M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Bulik
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis*; D002032:Bulimia / Q000097:blood*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D013997:Time Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008055:Lipids; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol