Anorexia Nervosa Mortality in Northeast Scotland, 1965–1999

Abstract

Anorexia nervosa is associated with increased risk of premature death. It is possible that death rates could be reduced by early diagnosis and by long-term specialist care.

Mortality in eating disorders: A follow-up study of adult eating disorder patients treated in tertiary care, 1995–2010

“…For broad AN our study show more than a six-fold risk of death, which is broadly consistent with the existing literature (Millar et al, 2005;Reas et al, 2005;Arcelus et al, 2011). It should also be kept in mind that our study consisted of patients with broad AN and thus also included patients with sub-threshold AN, often classified as having EDNOS in the DSM-IV system.…”

“…In accordance with previous studies (Fichter et al, 2006;Papadopoulos et al, 2009) mortality in patients with broad AN was elevated at the beginning of the follow-up but decreased over time. Older age at the beginning of treatment in the specialised eating disorder unit elevated the mortality risk in broad AN, which is consistent with findings from earlier studies (Deter et al, 2005;Millar et al, 2005;Huas et al, 2011). About half (45%) of patients with narrow AN and a little over a third (35%) of patients with broad AN had also received inpatient care.…”

A genome-wide association study on common SNPs and rare CNVs in anorexia nervosa

“…13 AN ranks among the ten leading causes of disability among young women 14 and has one of the highest mortality rates of any psychiatric disorder. [15][16][17][18][19] The evidence base for treatment for AN has been described as "weak," 20,21 and treatment and extended inpatient hospitalizations for weight restoration are costly. 22,23 In sum, the public health impact of AN is considerable, and AN carries substantial morbidity, mortality, and personal, familial, and societal costs.…”

'@ the doctor's office': Pro-anorexia and the medical gaze

“…With mortality rates higher than for any other psychiatric illness, research suggests that between 5 and 20 percent of anorexic individuals die from their practices (Neumarker, 1997; see also Crisp et al, 1992;Hewitt, Coren and Steel, 2001;Lowe et al, 2001;Millar et al, 2005;Zipfel et al, 2000). This risk, however, is of little consequence to some participants.…”