Hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal function in Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia

Medical Complications of Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia

“…84 Thus, amenorrhea is commonly noted in most, but not all females with anorexia nervosa. Leptin may have a causal role in the amenorrhea.…”

Detrimental psychological outcomes associated with early pubertal timing in adolescent girls

“…Both anorexics and bulimics display elevated levels of the androgen hormone dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its sulfate, DHEAS (Monteleone et al, 2001). Conversely, lower levels of luteinizing hormone, follicle stimulating hormone and estradiol have been observed in women with both anorexia and restricting subtypes of bulimia nervosa (Devlin, Walsh, & Katz, 1989;Pirke, Fichter, & Schweiger, 1989). Although early maturing girls begin to produce DHEAS prior to peers, they do not seem to differ in overall levels of DHEAS production (Vihko & Apter, 1984).…”

Chronicity in anorexia nervosa: Pregnancy and birth complications as risk factors

“…Donohoe (1984) has postuIated, however, that central nervous system (CNS) changes may precede the onset of abnormal eating behavior, and that neurochemical abnormalities (indicating a primary hypothalamic dysfunction) may antedate rather than follow the loss of weight. Support for the hypothesis that neurochemical abnormalities in anorexic patients may precede weight loss is found in the following observations: not all neuroendocrine abnormalities normalize on restoration of weight (Eckert, 1988;Falk & Halmi, 1982;Halmi, 1974Halmi, , 1983Katz & Weiner, 1981;Litt & Glader, 1986;Mitchell, 1986); reports of cases of gonadal dysgenesis indicate that these patients suffered the onset of anorectic symptoms after the initiation of hormone replacement therapy (Brinch & Manthorpe, 1987;Dougherty, Rockwell, Sutton, & Ellinwood, 1983;Weizman et al, 1982); and factors other than undernourishment and reduced weight may contribute to disturbed hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal functioning (De Rosa et al, 1983;Devlin et al, 1989;Kriepe, Strauss, Hodgman, & Ryan, 1989;Lupton, Simon, Barry, & Klawans, 1976). Katz and Weiner (1981) have speculated that one source of hypothalamic dysfunction may be a "biological predisposition-the possibility remains that the apparently tenuous nature of hypothalamic function in anorectic women could reflect constitutional or early life influences that have elicited subtle CNS vulnerabilities that can be activated under certain circumstances (psychosocial?…”