title: The female athlete triad.
abstract: The female athlete triad is a spectrum of interrelated pathophysiologic consequences of low energy availability, menstrual dysfunction, and low bone mineral density. Components of the triad are not only counterproductive to athletic performance goals, but can lead to serious long-term negative health outcomes. Practitioners caring for female athletes play an important role detecting at-risk athletes early in their course along the disease spectrum. Importantly, women who are evaluated for one component of the triad should always be screened for the other two. Detecting the disorder early is the most important factor for preventing the potentially severe consequences, and requires heightened vigilance on the part of all those who work with this special patient population. In this article, we discuss the epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, evaluation, and management of the female athlete triad.
authors.affiliation: Housestaff Officer, Internal Medicine, The Alpert Medical School of Brown University.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Horn
authors.affiliation: Housestaff Officer, Internal Medicine-Pediatrics, The Alpert Medical School of Brown University.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gergen
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor of Medicine, The Alpert Medical School of Brown University and Program Director, General Internal Medicine Residency, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI.
authors.forename: Kelly A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: McGarry
mesh_terms: D000568:Amenorrhea / Q000503:physiopathology; D056352:Athletes; D015519:Bone Density; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D053716:Female Athlete Triad Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D013178:Sports Medicine
keywords: altered bone density; disordered eating; female athlete triad; menstrual dysfunction