Brief report: Decreased bone mineral density as a long-term complication of teenage-onset anorexia nervosa.
OBJECTIVE
To follow up bone mineral density (BMD) 4 years after decreased BMD was diagnosed in adult individuals with teenage-onset anorexia nervosa (AN).


METHODS
In a previous study BMD was assessed in 39 individuals (36 women, 3 men) 11 years after AN onset. Decreased BMD occurred in a minority. In the present study, a 4-year follow-up of individuals with decreased BMD, 11 AN women were reassessed by using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Two women still had an eating disorder (ED).


RESULTS
Eight out of eleven women met criteria for decreased BMD/osteoporosis. There was an increase in BMD of total body and lumbar spine (LS). There was a relationship between lumbar BMD and BMI.


CONCLUSIONS
At follow-up of decreased BMD in adult women with teenage-onset of AN, there is a possibility of improvement of BMD.
Wentz
Elisabet
E
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Göteborg University, Göteborg, Sweden. elisabet.wentz@vgregion.se
Mellström
Dan
D
Gillberg
I Carina
IC
Gillberg
Christopher
C
Råstam
Maria
M
D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000150:complications*; D015519:Bone Density; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology